


Mistake

by SilverQueen



Category: Undertale
Genre: Blood, Death, Depression, Dreams, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Insomnia, M/M, Memory Loss, Mistake, Mute - Freeform, Nightmares, Recovery, Romance, Sickness, Swearing, Violence, bone zone?, might change rating later, soul
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-20
Updated: 2016-06-16
Packaged: 2018-05-28 00:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6306220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverQueen/pseuds/SilverQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You," their lips pull away from their teeth in a predatory smile,"were never supposed to fall. You are nothing but a mistake."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I didn't have to be fully conscious to know I was in trouble and in pain. White waves seemed to roll over the black of my eyelids when I try to move parts of my body to wake up, intense heat that turned into painful white cold echoing through all my nerves.

I don't know how long I struggle within myself, it could have been only minutes for all I know but it feels like an eternity that my mind is refusing to function, like it doesn't want to expose me to whatever horrors I am in at the moment.

It's only when I feel the flutter of my own eyelashes against the skin of my upper cheeks that I know I'm gaining control and slowly the darkness behind my eyes starts to simmer into lighter shades until finally the image of the sky cracks into view.

It takes me a moment to adjust my eyes because I must be hallucinating, how else would the sky be so far up above? It's so circular and I suddenly feel the need to reach up and try to cup it in my hands like a ball, the warm blue enticing me to close whatever gap is between it and my body.

I blink slowly at my own childish thoughts and try to pull my scattered mind together, to make sense of what exactly is going on.

It's quiet, dreadfully quiet, and I see darkness straining at the corners of my vision just out of the small patch of light I seem to be in. I flex my fingers to try and regain feeling in my body, feeling what I think is petals to flowers softly swaying around me as I move my hands slightly, but when I try to sit up for the full effect I feel my stomach lurch at the excruciating pain that suddenly grabs at my whole being. I fall back into the golden flower bed with tears stinging in my eyes as I push down the need to puke all over myself. What happened, where am I? My mind cracks out of whatever haze it was in as panic quickly takes over and makes my heart thump against my ribcage almost painfully.

I try and retrace my steps but nothing comes to mind when I look up to the only place I can, the patch of blue sky up above.

Think, think, what were you doing before this moment? Did a gang beat me up and throw my body in the sewer? No there aren't flowers in a sewer and I saw grass I'm sure of it.

I feel my chest tighten as I push myself to remember something, anything, but I can't. I'm so deep in contemplation that I flinch agonizingly when I hear a sudden voice.

"Howdy!" I turn my head as much as I can in the direction I heard it come from, my eyes wide with fear as I see what seems to be a red glint from someone's eyes in the darkness watching me. When I don't say anything I hear a slight shuffle as if they are moving closer, only to reveal a small smiling face.

As they, or should I say it, moves closer my mind seems to slowly piece together that it's golden flower much like the ones I'm laying on.

My mind seems to go blank as the smiling flower merely gazes into my face at its unnervingly short distance.

Oh god I'm dead, I must be, talking flowers don't exist. Hell, flowers with faces is just another notch on the dead poll for me.

"I know you're a human and all but I thought you would have more manners than this, isn't it rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?" The flower speaks again with the same grin never wavering even at my lack of response, and my mouth opens slightly then closes. What do I say to a talking flower? If I'm dead will it even matter if I do anything?

When the flowers face turns slightly wider at my silence I suddenly know that I'm not dead, because if I were dead I wouldn't feel the need to move as far away from this location as if my life depended on it.

"Well it seems a vines got your tongue because you continue to be rude, I don't mind though, not a lot. You are after all bleeding everywhere, pal, I imagine you're stunned to not be dead right now to speak, that was after all one heck of a drop," the flower clucks its tongue and glances upwards but my eyes stay glued to its face in silence.

The flower looks back down and meets my gaze, "Looks like it's going to take more than that to kill you, huh?"

His(?) voice sends chills prickling up my spine, like he's threatening me without actually doing it. What is he talking about, he's saying that almost like he...

My thought stops immediately when I feel a sudden pressure making its way up my torso. I painfully crane my neck to see a thick vine slithering like a snake towards my face, its root connected to the flower.

"My names Flowey by the way, Flowey the flower," he says cheerfully but his face is morphing, and a scream cracks in my throat as my body is ripped away from its laying position by the vine that managed to wrap its way around my body, dangling me above the ground so my head is directed towards the garden of golden flowers stained from my own blood, gathering all my body's liquid life in my skull.

I can hear carefree little chuckles coming from under me but I'm too consumed in pain to react in any way.

My mind flickers in and out of consciousness as Flowey rattles my body around like a rag dolls, everything in my body screaming in agony. I'm pretty sure I'm sobbing because I faintly feel wetness dripping from my eyes and dampening the hair around my forehead, but I can't be sure.

All I know is suddenly as my mind is growing dark again I hear a feminine gasp from somewhere in the space around me, and the angry mutters of Flowey before I fall from the air and into the warm embrace of somebody.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is short but it's only the beginning


	2. Toriel

This time when I come around my eyes open immediately, Flowey being the first thing on my mind. I can still feel his vines around me and I start to hyperventilate, painfully sitting up to pull them away from myself only to see that they're bed sheets.

It's only then that I realize I'm no longer in the dark place that I was before, but a bedroom, not only that it's a child's bedroom. I feel a deep ache in my ribs and have to lay back down, laying a hand across myself.

Under my clothes I feel wrapping that I think are bandages, when I become aware of that I also become aware that I have more bandages all across my body. I'm in pain but not as bad as when I had woken up the first time which left only one thing. Where the hell am I? From where I lay I can see old stuffed animals stuffed between the bed I'm on and the wall next to me, some dust collecting on them telling me that they've been untouched for a long time.

Actually, everything in the room looks untouched, the wardrobe next to me has a thin layer of dust on it too. Even the patterned carpet on the wood floor looks like it hasn't seen the trample of feet in a while. This isn't my home, I would think I would recognize at least something if this were my room but I draw a blank.

I don't feel threatened though wherever I am, not like last time with the flower.

That flower, Flowey, I've never seen anything like it. What was it, a talking flower shouldn't be possible. I would think this was all a dream but I can't have a dream within a dream, can I?

My thoughts are disrupted when I suddenly hear shuffling, my eyes darting towards the only door in the room. Much to my body's anguish I sit up quickly to get a better chance of defense. The handle moves and slowly the door opens, I don't know what to expect but a goat isn't one of them.

Maybe goat isn't the right way to describe her, she almost looks human with the way she is standing and her figure is distinctly feminine with hips and a chest under her purple robe and white fur.

When the goat lady notices I'm awake she looks like she's been flashed with headlights, her already large eyes wide as I stare back at her with tension building up in my limbs. I can't exactly run from her is she decides to gouge me with her pointy horns that sit on top of her head, but I think I could manage rolling away. Though with the pain from just tensing up maybe not.

"My child, goodness you surprised me. I wasn't expecting you to wake up so soon," her voice is soft and motherly as if trying to relax me, but Flowey had had that smiling face and he didn't turn out to be nice at all.

The goat woman seems to notice my still stiff stance and under her fur I think I make out a soft smile as she slightly walks into the room, I think I can smell something like butterscotch and cinnimon waft off of her.

"There is no need to be afraid, I am Toriel, the caretaker of the ruins you fell into." She explains as she clasps her hands together in front of her. At the mention of the ruins my face turns into one of confusion. Ruins? What is she talking about, where am I??

Toriel looks at me with a tilt of her head, clearly noticing my emotions. "The ruins that hide under Mt. Ebott child, surely you've heard of the mountain at least from where you come from." I can feel myself blanch, Mt. Ebott, the place that people were constantly warned about, the place where people went but never came back from.

I can't remember by who but a voice from a memory speaks to me, warningly. "Don't ever go there, in old fairy tales they say monsters live under the ground where they were banished to. It's silly, but people have gone missing there so why not just pretend the monsters are real, yeah?"

I rub my head absentmindedly. Fairy tales. I look at Toriel who gazes at me with concern at my lack of focus on the room around me. Without permission Toriel steps forward and lays her hand over my own that's on the bed, I don't shrink away but instead reach and hand out and rub the fur on her paw (hand?).

Not a fairy tale, she feels real and solid and soft under my skin. I jerk my hand away when I realize that I'm not dreaming. Toriel seems surprised at my actions and takes a slight step away from me.

"My child, I'm not going to hurt you, you don't need to act so afraid," she tells me and bats her long eyelashes at me. I gaze at her for what seems like a long time. I don't feel threatened by her presence, and if she wanted to hurt me.... I run a hand along my ribcage where I feel the wrappings. She wouldn't patch me up from my fall if she was just going to hurt me again.

Toriel seems to notice my body relax because she smiles widely before looking solemn. "Do you mind if I check on your wounds, some of them are pretty severe and though I'm no doctor I should still attend to them."

I nod hesitantly and she approaches me gently. Toriel gently checks my bandages, apologizing when she has to ask me to sit up straighter. Apologizing again when she has to raise my shirt to look at my ribs.

I sneak a glance at my own body for the first time since falling down the hole and grit my teeth as Toriel peels away the bandages. The skin is deeply bruised all along the left side of my torso and I know that I have several broken ribs just by looking at myself, there's no way I couldn't have broken them.

I watch as she checks my legs too, my ankle badly sprained according to Toriel, and deep gashes on my skin that she had managed to stop from bleeding but still sting and burn as soon as they meet air again. Not to mention the discolored lines across my skin from Flowey's vines that had been wrapped around my body.

All in all, I'm surprised I'm not dead or severely crippled at least. But that doesn't seem to be the only damage that has been done to me.

"Oh! Forgive me my child, I never asked for your name I just keep on rambling on," Toriel smiles at me a she reapplies bandages on my thigh. I think to myself for a moment, but after the kindness this women...er....goat, has shown me I don't feel a reason to keep being standoffish as long as I kept my guard up.

I open my mouth to tell her my name but the words die in my throat. My hands creep up to my neck in surprise and try again but the words croak, again. My eyes widen and I start to sweat. Why can't I talk?

Toriel seems to notice my distress and silence because her large eyes look at me,"Is something wrong my child?" I nod and clench my throat again, my mouth open but with no noise coming out. "Can you not speak? Oh dear, I wonder if the trauma you've been through has effected you more then just your body. It's okay my child, I am assured you will regain it someday," she says cheerfully and I can just nod.

\------------------------------------------------

Toriel spends several days feeding me and dressing my wounds, always having one sided conversations about a book she's read or asking me questions that I can answer yes or no to with a shake of my head.

Do I remember my name? Yes.

Do I know how old I am? Yes.

Do I remember anything from before the fall? No.

She won't let me get up out of the bed with my badly sprained ankle since she doesn't have crutches, always acting like a mother when I try to get out from under the sheets.

I don't understand why she cares so much for my health but I allow it, because one I don't have a choice, but two because it's nice to have someone who cares for me like a mother even if she's mostly a stranger. It feels like forever, the time that I'm stuck in the bed, even though it's only around a week.

But when I wake up one morning I realize it's much earlier than usual, at least it feels that way. The only source of time I have is when Toriel feeds me my three meals and considering she hasn't come in yet for breakfast.... I throw the sheets away from my body, wrinkling my nose when I smell my own body odor that has been trapped under the blankets.

God now I feel so bad for Toriel, how has she not complained for being in such close proximity to me. She had washed the dry blood off of me with a washcloth and to keep my wounds clean but that method of cleaning can only do so much.

Toriel always smells clean, I'll have to ask about a shower or a bathtub at all. I test my ankle gingerly and suck in a breath when I feel the pain, but it's not unbearable. I grab my ribs when they ache at my movement but I start to walk, well, limp towards the door. I open it and peer out to see a hall, in one direction a dead end but I can see doorknobs so I know there are more doors. In the other direction I see entryways into more rooms so that's the direction I head in.

I hear pans coming from the direction I'm walking in so I assume Toriel is in a kitchen making food. The wood planks under my feet are smooth and cool and I pass stairs leading into a basement and what I think is a front door. Beyond that I walk into a room with several bookshelves and a chair and a table with three seats. I suddenly whip my head around when a startled squeak comes from behind me.

"Goodness you keep surprising me child! What are you doing out of bed, is your ankle okay? Do you feel out of breath?" She starts questioning me and presses a cool paw to my forehead. I make a face and motion a hand over my body as if to show I'm okay. Toriel chuckles before leading me to sit in a chair at the table and then bringing me out food.

And that's how the next several days go, me actually leaving the room to spend time with Toriel in the living room, reading the limited supply of books and eating.

Toriel reads some puns from a book from her room. They're actually pretty funny and I find myself smiling for the first time since falling.

I'm pleased to know she does indeed have a bath. After that it all seems to go uphill, my ankle feels good enough that Toriel leads me outside her home, where I hesitantly meet more monsters.

They look like overgrown frogs which makes sense since they're Froggits, they all talk at once but seem friendly enough. I doubt Toriel would introduce me to something that would hurt me anyway. For the next several days after that I wander through the ruins and meet many other small monsters, something called moldsmal's and nervous looking whimsun's.

Toriel tells me sometimes they may act a little aggressive but that they won't hurt me, they are too kind and just want to talk. They're all just a little nervous about seeing someone so different.

Toriel gives me a cellphone for the moments that I do wander and even when I'm at her home I make a point of texting her so I can hold conversations for once. I tell her my name finally and she seems happy to be able to have conversations.

I ask her questions about monsters, how long have they been here? Too long.

Is it true that humans sealed them down here? Yes, but how do you know that my child?

I don't remember.

I'm not dreaming am I? No child, you are not.

Do you have a kid of your own, am I sleeping in their bed? I did once, long ago. But it's your room now, you can stay in as long as you want.

It's nice, for a while. But soon I feel like I know every monster, ever pathway, every blade of grass or random flower.

I always watch the flowers when I pass them.

I read every book on the shelves, being a fast reader seems like a bad thing when I eventually read the same books twice.

My ankle almost fully heals and I can walk around without a hobble, my ribs still hurt but it doesn't effect me from moving regularly unless I do something without acting carefully.

I think about finally going into the basement as it's the only room I haven't explored but whenever Toriel sees me glancing at the stairs she tells me there's nothing down there, nothing but an unfinished basement.

It seems that there is nothing left for me here but I can't leave, Toriel would be heartbroken after becoming so close with me and there's nothing but the ruins from the place where I fell to her house.

At least that's what I think until Toriel lets it slip.

\-----------------------------------------------

I'm hesitant to say anything, Toriel looks so content in her chair by the fireplace, reading with her little glasses on. I fiddle with my phone in my hands with my fingers rubbing on the buttons, I need to say something. My fingers tap out a message and when Toriels phone goes off besides her she looks at me with a smile before reading it, making me feel worse.

*When can I go home?* As she reads my message her body goes stiff then relaxes into a slump, her face looking solemn.

"Are you not happy here? Is this not your home now, my child?" Toriel questions and I play idly with a curl in my hair, not meeting her gaze for more then a second. I type out my next message and then actually look at her.

*You've given me more than I can ever pay back Toriel, but I need to go back to the surface, I might have family or friends looking for me.* She looks like she's going to cry and I feel a small pit in my stomach, I didn't want to make her sad but I can't live here forever in the ruins, I can't live in such a small place where I know every nook and cranny and creature and word to be read. I don't know what awaits me on the surface either, a scary unknown factor as well.

I look at Toriel with a serious look in my eye. "You can't leave, there is nothing for you out there, you don't know what's out there," Toriel says as if trying to change my mind but I shake my head and tap into my phone again.

*Toriel please, there must be a way to leave from the ruins back to the surface, if anyone knows it you.* She closes her book, gets out of her chair, and kneels before me and rests a paw on my cheek like a mother would.

"My child, it is too dangerous out there for you, the others will not treat you the same way I do..." Toriel trails off then her eyes widen along with mine. I don't have to type out my question of what others?

"Oh dear, I didn't mean....well I shouldn't have...." Toriel stumbles over her own words and stands up, brushing off her purple robe and looking quite flustered. I stand up and hold my phone to my chest, pleading for answers with my eyes. Toriel sighs but doesn't say anything. I type on my phone quickly.

*Tori, please.*

\----------------------------------------------

I sign as I roll over in bed, cringing at the pain in my ribs before it can fully ebb away.

Toriel had ended up not saying anything more before going to her bedroom, obvious sadness radiating off of her as I heard her footsteps disappear down the hall. I had stood by the fire for a while before going to my bedroom too with a book to distract myself from the unpleasant feelings buzzing in my stomach.

Now that the book is done now though I have to deal with what's inside.

Toriel has given me so much in the past week and a half, food and clothes and safety. I should be happy with it all even if confined in the small space of the ruins. 

But there's a nagging in the bad of my head, _I must move on from this place there is more for me out there_. On the surface? I'm not quite sure. All I do know is if I leave sooner than later Toriel might be less hurt, less attachment to me than what there already is. 

I roll over again on my bed. Do I feel the same attachment that Toriel feels for me? She has a strong maternal instinct, obviously, but I just feel...I don't know. I'm appreciative, she makes me smile with her jokes. 

I press the palms of my hands into my eyes. I think about falling asleep to make the thoughts go away when I hear familiar shuffling outside my door. 

I open my eyes and look through the darkness towards the door, Toriel doesn't stop at my door as she usually does but walks past it. 

Curious at her obvious quieted footsteps, I slip out of bed and quicky pull on the striped sweater over my nightshirt and shorts with the long socks. I open the bedroom door and look out but Toriel is nowhere in sight. 

I walk down the hall and think maybe she has gone out the front door so I slip on my shoes and go to leave when I hear a creak come from behind me. I turn around and look at the basement steps, and tuck a curl behind my ear before walking.

I get down to the bottom of the steps and listen, I can hear her walking so I know she's going this way like I had thought. 

As I walk the path under my feet goes from actual flooring to dirt and it gets colder, making me hide my hands in the sleeves of my sweater.

I stop walking when I turn a corner and see a huge purple door and none other then Toriel standing before it, her back turned towards me. I slowly take my phone out of my back pocket and text her.

Toriel jumps when her phone pings in her robe and fishes it out to read it.

*What are you doing.* 

She turns around and sets her sad eyes on me as I tuck the phone back into my shorts pockets.

"My child you shouldn't be here," she says quietly and I step closer. My eyes flick to the door behind her in an unspoken question of where it goes and why she's hidden it. 

She gives a resigned sigh and wrings her hands together and frowning. 

"You don't understand, I have been protecting you. This door leads to the the rest of the underground but what lies out there is dangerous." I don't say anything, obviously, just stare at her.

She goes on,"The monsters out there only want one thing, to leave the underground like you, but the barrier keeps them down here. They, _he_ , has hurt the other children who have come before you. I let them leave and they've all parished my child I cannot let that happen to you," I rest a hand on my chest when I feel an odd sense of tugging. 

I step forward with determination, I must leave, that's what the feeling inside is telling me.

Toriel gives me an uncharacteristically stern face and I see her magic slightly flaring in her palm as if she really means to keep me here even if it means by force. I've only ever seen her use magic in the kitchen cooking but I have no doubt if she wanted to she could be stronger.

"I'm going to destroy this door, I'm going to keep you safe, I must do this please understand," she says and I step forward again.

"You won't let up will you, you really want to leave?" Toriel says and I nod. That odd feeling of tugging in my chest starts again and I take a deep breath to keep the uncomfortable feeling under control.  _Don't hurt her._

I take my phone out and type and send it without breaking eye contact. She hesitantly picks up her own phone.

*You mean to fight me, but I won't fight you. I'm not a child, not anymore. You cannot protect me from my own decisions.*

 "You're still so young..." She trails off but the tugging in my chest has receded and I know her will to keep me here is fading by my words.

She steps away from the door and abruptly pulls me into a hug. Her warmth envelopes me and all I can smell is butterscotch in her fur as I wrap my arms around her too. It takes a while before she pulls away and wipes away the wetness from her eyes. 

"If you leave you cannot come back," she says quietly and I feel a sharp pain in my gut at her words but I nod anyway and she walks around me and up the hall. I wait until I can't hear her footsteps anymore before wrapping my arms around myself and taking a deep inhale. 

I look up at the purple door and lay my hands on it before pushing it open with a loud creak.

 


	3. Sans and Papyrus

I'm hit by the cold air as soon as I step through the doors, my shoes making a crunching sound as I pause and blink at the snow on the ground around me.

There's a single path leading from the opening of the door to some unknown destination farther into the underground, trees lining both sides a couple feet from where I stand.

The door closes behind me with a muffled thump and I watch my own breath fan out in front of me as I look up, the cave ceiling must be high because I can't see it. But it's not the sky so how can there be snow? I vaguely wish I was wearing pants instead of just shorts and high socks, but there's nothing I can do about it now, so I just walk.

Down the path I go, slightly unsettled by the lack of noise, Toriels house always had something making some kind of sound.

The path just seems to go on forever and I have my sleeves pulled over my hands and the neckline tucked right up under my chin as I shiver, happy I hadn't taken my night shirt off before following Toriel.

Well, not really a night shirt, just my own shirt from the fall, freshly cleaned. I'm glad the shirt is black, none of my blood stained it.

I only stop walking when I see a stick in the middle of my path. For some reason it seems out of place in this otherwise unblocked path, especially since no trees were close enough to leave such a thing so perfectly places here and there's no wind. Or there shouldn't be wind, yet there's no way snow should be on the ground either so I guess I can't rule anything out.

I step over the stick and walk a few more steps before I glance over my shoulder, as if expecting something to happen.

I shrug to myself and keep walking, ignoring the slight disappointment lingering in the back of my skull. I come across bars that seem to be there to keep things from passing but the bars are too far apart and I easily slip between them and continue down the path, wandering when it will come to an end.

The trees around me slowly seem to become more dense as I come across a split in the path, choosing the left one with only a slight hesitation after seeing it slant upwards slightly. Upwards means less space between me and the surface, right? I walk for a while that way when I suddenly come into a small clearing.

I step forward and see a large icy spot which I quickly just walk over. After that I come into yet another clearing but instead of more ice I see peculiar X's on the ground and snow balls bunched around them almost like to set a scene.

What is this? I step closer to look at it and bend down before brushing my hand across it and like a panel it's lights up to be a green O.

How odd, it's like a puzzle.

I stand up straight to look at the whole thing better, backing up. It's then that I knock right into something hard and lurch forward right into the snow, a surprised squeak escaping my mouth then a groan from the pain flaring up in my ribs, the first noise I've made since falling.

It's progress.

I turn my head around and come face to face with boots and a bony shin, not like skinny, but actual bone. My eyes slowly travel up, widening.

\------------------------------------

Sans seems to appear out of nowhere along the forest path, a small rip in space behind him closing as fast as it came.

His hands are shoved deep in his pockets as usual, the bottom of his face buried in the fluff of his jackets neckline. He hums to himself as he walks down the path towards the door at the end of the cave, his usual spot to checkout.

Papyrus may call him lazy, and he often does, but Sans never skips or slacks off when it comes to regularly checking for humans.

He can't afford to.

Sans comes across the stick in the path and only glances down to confirm that it hasn't been stepped on and broken before walking on.

He wonders how papyrus is doing with his puzzles, he left the house early this morning in his usual loud manner, saying goodbye to him through the door and reminding him to not slack off at his station today.

Of course Sans had just rolled over in his bed and fallen right back to sleep.

Sans sees the large door ahead of him and blinks sleepily, wanting to go back to his station and nap. He approaches the door and looks around lazily, his eyes slowly making their way to the ground until they stop.

Dirt has been moved as if the door had been opened. Sans is no longer tired as his eyes sweep the ground now, seeing traces of footsteps in the gravel of the path.

He grits his teeth and moves quickly back down the path, following the imprints until they reach the snow. Sans knows where Papyrus is making the traps today and those are where the footprints are going to.

Sans feels the familiar feeling of panic slightly rise in his chest as he takes off running.

Which one of them is it going to be.

Dammit he shouldn't have slept in and gotten up when Papyrus did instead.

He never knows when they are going to come out, they usually do after a day or two after a reset but it's been almost been two months.

He shouldn't have let his guard down, thinking that maybe they wouldn't come back for once.

Sans rushed up the path, the footprints going right over the frozen pond and then scatters as it seems they solved papyrus' puzzle on the ground, his brothers footprints are there too.

He rushes forward until he comes into a clearing, his brother standing with his hands on his hips as he watches someone.

Which is it, which one is it going to be.

Sans eyes probe his brothers back but he seems untouched, unharmed. That's when his eyes narrow in on someone crouching in the snow in front of Paps, shivering slightly.

Sans steps forward to get a better look and Papyrus turns around upon hearing footsteps. "AH BROTHER YOU FINALLY JOIN US, I USED YOUR METHOD OF PUZZLE TO STUMP THE HUMAN AND HAVE STOPPED THEM FROM GOING FORWARD. THEY SOLVED MY LAST PROBLEM QUICKLY AND THEY ARE JUST POWERING THROUGH THIS ONE LIKE A MINI ME." Papyrus says but Sans only nods as he watched the figure stiffen then look up towards them both.

It's a girl, older than the usual timeline kids that come through here, but still young. It's hard to tell how old she is exactly, she's shorter and very slim but not exactly like a child's slim. Not like Frisk.

She watches Sans and Papyrus through a curtain of long dark curly hair and large eyes the color of what Sans had always imagined the natural sky to look like. The ghost of bruises are apparent on her pale skin wherever skin is actually showing and puckered marks of almost completely healed wounds join those.

And she's wearing the damned striped sweater.

She's crouched in the snow with what looks like paper on her legs as if to use them as a table, a pencil in her hand. Sans looks up towards his brother to see his usual grin plastered on his face. "DO NOT WORRY HUMAN IT IS ONLY MY LAZY BROTHER SANS WHO HAS COME, YOU MAY RESUME WITH YOUR WORD SEARCH," Papyrus's usual loud voice makes the girl cringe slightly though she doesn't look particularly threatened.

Not by Paps at least. She gives Sans a lingering glance before resuming to scan the paper. Sans doesn't know what to make of the situation, she is clearly neither of who he was expecting, she is something he has never experienced. Which is not something he can say very often.

He doesn't trust her though, especially when he realizes he can't see her soul clearly through her figure. He doesn't relax even now that he knows Papyrus isn't hurt, his fingers twitching in his coat as if he expects the girl to make a dangerous move.

Sans suddenly stiffens when the girl stands up and walks towards them both, but she only motions for Papyrus to grab the paper from her. She immediately backs away from them and stands there uncertainly.

She doesn't know what to do. She should join the club.

Papyrus looks over the paper very quickly then scratches his skull. "FOR SUCH A DIFFICULT PUZZLE YOU SOLVED IT IN ONLY MINUTES!" He sounds perplexed but pleased. "HUMAN ON TO THE NEXT PUZZLE!" Papyrus marches towards another destination and the girl hesitates, sends Sans a glance, and follows the taller Skelton.

Sans watches the girls movements very closely but lazily stands alongside Papyrus as usual, she hasn't said a word since Sans arrived, and followed his brothers puzzles like it was the most normal thing in the world for her.

What does she think about all this? Little kids are far more, well, accepting of situations. But where she isn't a little kid, shouldn't she be more inquisitive?

Sans doesn't trust this at all. So when Paps starts talking to the girl again and she reaches behind her for something, a weapon(?), Sans phalanges curl into a fist.

\--------------------------------------------

I could have bumped into a worse monster than Papyrus.

At first I had been really surprised, especially since I hadn't heard him walk through the snow, and with his size that was an accomplishment.

We had stared at each other for a moment, I'm sure he was just as shocked to see me as I was with him, and then he opened his mouth.

"ARE YOU WHAT I THINK YOU ARE?" He practically boomed and I cringed at the loud sound after having been in almost complete silence since leaving the ruins.

I wasn't sure how to respond, Toriel has specifically said monsters out here wouldn't be as nice to me as she had been. But he waited for me to answer very patiently, and didn't look like he had any weapons on him or his almost costume looking clothes.

Not that that means much, Toriel had magic after all.

However, something about him seems totally innocent. Maybe it's the sparkles in his eyes as he looks at me, maybe it's how his little cape flutters dramatically in the, well, there's no wind, so it flutters with anticipation.

So without a sound I nod at his question, and if it's even possible, his eyes (eye sockets?) twinkle even more as he bends down to offer me a hand back up. "NYEH HEH HEH, I KNEW IT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NEVER WRONG." He gloats and I take his hand to stand up, as soon as I'm up though I let go and take a few steps back just to make sure.

Papyrus looks pretty proud of himself as he studies me with several nods of his head, "HUMAN, YOU SEE THE PUZZLE BEFORE YOU, YOU CANNOT PASS UNTIL YOU SOLVE IT, WHERE I HAVE ANOTHER PUZZLE AND MANY MORE!" So I did as he said, doing puzzles.

I raised an eyebrow when he handed me the cross word puzzle but did it wordlessly, I didn't exactly have a reason not to, I don't have a plan as of right now.

Plus Toriel said the best thing I could do to avoid fights was to just to do things that pleased the monsters, whether it was "talking" or playing games with them I don't think it mattered.

When I got the crossword puzzle I had to bite my lip and kneel into the snow, shivering, to use my legs as a table. It wasn't that bad until the short one showed up.

As soon as I heard Papyrus speak in his usual uplifting tone to someone else the hair on the back of my neck stood up unpleasantly, the feeling of being analyzed making me look up.

He may have a lazy grin on his face as he looks at me as he takes in my clothes and narrows in on the visible old wounds on my skin, but I can tell he's strained for whatever reason.

I pretend none of this effects me so I search for the final word on the paper and then quickly stand up and hand him the paper. Papyrus praises me for finishing it as if it was a difficult task before announcing to move along to the next one. I glance at the brother called Sans before fallowing the taller skeleton.

"HUMAN, I WILL NOW EXPLAIN THE RULES OF THIS PUZZLE BEFORE I GO TO THE OTHER SIDE TO ACTIVATE IT." Papyrus says and I reach into my back pocket to get my phone, seeing Sans tense out of the corner of my eye. When he sees what I'm holding though he instantly relaxes back into his casual slump.

*Papyrus how many more puzzles are there?* I show him the screen and he squints to read it before patting my shoulder.

"I DON'T REMEMBER I HAVE BEEN MAKING THEM FOR A WHILE, WHY DO YOU ASK HUMAN?" I hesitate before typing again.

*I'm really cold.* I tell him honestly and bite he inside of my cheek as my shivering is making my ribs hurt. Papyrus looks at me with an overly exaggerated shocked look. "ARE HUMANS LIPS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BLUE?" He questions and I shake my head no.

He seems genuinely concerned as he finally sees how wet and shivery I am, the snow from getting knocked over and having to squat leaving me half drenched.

Suddenly he smiles in his usual manor, "COME TO SANS AND I'S HOUSE TO WARM UP, YOU CANT SOLVE PUZZLES IF YOU HAVE A COLD. THEN I CAN FINALLY CAPTURE YOU AND BECOME A PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD." His eyes twinkle again as I ponder on how he could think that even made sense, if he wanted to capture me wouldn't he just grab me while I'm weak? And the Royal guard? Sounds dangerous for me.

"Bro, I don't think that's a good idea..." Sans butts in with his bone brows (brow bones?) furrowed into a small frown. "WELL OF COURSE IT'S A GOOD IDEA SANS, WE CANT VERY WELL LET THE HUMAN FREEZE OUT HERE NOW CAN WE."

I watch as Sans thinks for a moment before seeming to remember something then shrugging lazily with what I think is just his usual smile.

I think for a moment about how I should refuse the invitation, I know nothing of these two monsters and while Sans doesn't seem to like me, Papyrus wants to be apart of the Royal guard and wants to capture me.

But I also know nothing of where I am and what other creatures could be lurking around, and while Paps does want to catch me he doesn't seem dangerous. Plus I would freeze to death overnight if I spent it outside.

But I don't get a chance to think about it anyway because Papyrus slaps my back in a friendly manner with a NYEH HEH HEH, but it makes me curl over in pain as his hand comes in contact with my ribs.

"HUMAN?" Papyrus asks, concerned, as I take deep breaths. "Hey kid, did Paps hit you too hard or somethin?" It's Sans and I straighten out a little and shake my head, raising up my shirt just enough for them to peak at the white wrappings that try to hold your ribs in place to heal.

The white lights in Sans eyes grow large as the shirt drops back down by my waist. He seems to understand the pain I'm in because he turns to Papyrus and tells him we should all head to their house now so I can rest.

I don't know what his sudden change of heart is towards me but as we walk I feel slightly less scrutinized.

We walk for a while through the snow until we come across the boarder of what looks like a town. The streets are thankfully mostly empty and when we do happen to pass a monster who looks like a lady bunny, I just duck behind Papyrus as much as I can considering he's a Skelton and avoid notice.

Papyrus manages to not talk constantly throughout the whole walk to draw attention to us, only talking occasionally of the Royal guard and how he will have tons of friends and someone named Undyne. I don't have time to type out conversation on my phone so it's just one long one sided conversation that I occasionally nod to to show I'm still listening.

We stop walking when we come to the front of a cute looking house, Sans reaches out of his pockets for the first time since seeing him to unlock the door and holding it open for Papyrus and I.

When I walk in I'm hit with the smell of what I think is spaghetti, not that it's unpleasant, kinda homey actually.

The living room looks like any other with a couch and TV, and the room off of that looks like a kitchen. I walk in farther and stand there uncertainly, slipping off my shoes so not to track in snow. When I look up at the table I had leaned on to take off my shoes I raise an eyebrow when I see a rock covered in sprinkles.

I walk across the carpet and jump when Sans suddenly stands in front of me and holds out a towel, when had he even gone upstairs to get one?

I mouth a thank you and wrap it around me, Sans just shrugs but smiles. Well, gives me a less strained smile.

"HUMAN, MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME, I WILL COOK YOU A WARM MEAL WHILE YOU RELAX," Papyrus announces and goes into the kitchen, leaving Sans and I alone. When I don't move from where I'm standing Sans sits on the couch and slumps into what I think might be his usual spot.

"Well don't _freeze_ up on me kid, come sit down." I blink but find myself slightly smiling at the pun as I'm reminded of Toriel, easing down on the other side of the couch.

It looked kind of lumpy but it's actually comfortable as I play with my phone idly in my lap, looking towards the kitchen where I hear Papyrus banging around.

"So," Sans starts and I look at him, the white globes in his eyes focused on me. "How'd you get hurt so bad?" I shrug, mimicking his earlier movements. That answer doesn't seem to satisfy him though because the lights in his eyes get slightly smaller, so I take out my phone and type. I hold it up to him,

*I guess it's what happens when someone falls from the top of a cliff, broke some of my ribs*.

"Fair enough, though I never heard of previous kids falling getting so hurt, I heard they marched right through town after falling." I didn't know skeletons could have eyelids but his lower lazily as he thinks.

*Were you not here when the other kids came through?* I show him the screen and he shakes his head.

"Nah, Paps and I weren't around when the first few kids came through, you're the first one to come in a long time," he explains and I wonder to myself where Sans and Papyrus had been before here but I decide not to ask.

"Anyway, any reason you're not talking?" He questions next and I look to my phone.

*Guessing at trauma, I feel like I can talk but when I try I can't. Guess the fall did more than just _rattle my bones_ *. Sans smiles at my message, I mean he's always smiling but...well forget it.

At least he isn't looking at me like I'm going to attack him any second.

"So trauma from falling or something before your tumble into the underground?" He questions and I shrug.

*I don't remember anything before I fell, so trauma from falling*. Sans nods and then it's silence, not really awkward though.

I recline slightly on the couch and wrap the towel tighter around me, feeling at ease. I know I should probably feel nervous being in a home of practical strangers who also happen to be monsters, especially after Toriel's warning, but there's a comfortable silence deep down that tells me I'm not in danger with them.

Even if Papyrus wants to capture me for the Royal guard.

Speaking of Papyrus, he rushes into the room holding two plates of spaghetti, making my stomach gurgle, reminding me I hadn't eaten anything before leaving the ruins.

"HUMAN I HAVE MADE THE BEST FOOD FOR HEALING, EAT UP WHILE I PUT ON THE BEST SHOW FOR HEALTH TOO," Papyrus bounds over to the tv after placing a plate on his brothers and I's lap. I watch out of the corner of my eye as Sans takes a bite and swallows it.

When he notices me watching he makes a show of taking another bite and gulping.

Where does it go???

I too then take a bite of the food and then fight not to choke, oh god this is nothing like Toriel's cooking.

But Papyrus is back from turning on the tv and looking at me expectantly so I slightly smile and take another large forkful. I can feel Sans looking at me and seems satisfies when I don't insult Papyrus' food.

"The spaghetti's as good as usual bro," Sans says and Papyrus smiles, his little cape swinging in the unknown wind.

"OH COURSE IT IS." He sure is confident.

We spent the next hour or so watching a show where a square robot does different activities, I guess his name is Mettaton. Papyrus seems pretty enthralled anyway and I guess it's pretty entertaining.

I don't remember feeling relaxed enough to start dozing off, but when I feel Papyrus take the plate off my lap I open my eyes and realize some time has passed.

My eyes wander to a window and see it's getting dark out, not sure how that's possible considering we are underground but...

"Hey kid, you can sleep on the couch but you might want to change out of your damp clothes so you don't catch a cold," I groggily look to see Sans stand up and look at me. As he says it I become aware of how sticky I feel from my clothes, they're not drenched but definitely still wet as he had said.

I nod and stand up, unwrapping myself from the towel. Papyrus comes down from the second floor and hands me some giant clothes, the shirt alone could be a dress for me. I nod my head in thanks and Papyrus smiles.

Sans leads me upstairs to a bathroom and allows me to change in privacy. I strip off my clothes and thank myself for having a small chest because even my bra is a little wet so I have to take that off too. I also have to sloppily unwrap then rewrap my ribs to make sure they're still setting in the right place before pulling on Papyrus' clothes.

I walk downstairs with my clothes rolled in a ball in my arms, trying not to trip over the sweatpants, and go into the living room. Sans has the couch setup with a pillow and blanket and I walk over.

It just occurs to me as Sans turns around that while I had thought he had been pretty short, I'm only an inch or so taller than him. He's able to meet my eye as we both stand still and look at each other, he gives that lazy smile before speaking and holding out his arms.

"We have a dryer I can throw these in, they'll be dry by tomorrow morning," he tells me and I nod and hand them over, wandering how they have such modern stuff underground.

While he's gone I lay on the couch and get under the blanket. Papyrus comes into the room and surveys my situation before looking content.

"HUMAN YOU LOOK COMFORTABLE, IF YOU NEED ANYTHING I WILL BE UPSTAIRS GETTING READ A GOODNIGHT STORY BY MY BROTHER," I pick up my phone and say thank you before he disappears up the stairs.

As he leaves Sans appears once again, "Alright kid it's all set." He pauses then his eyes widen,

"Oh, I just realized I have no idea what your name is, did Papyrus even ask?" I shake my head no that he didn't ask. Papyrus seemed pretty content with just calling me human and I didn't really have a problem with that.

Sans lightly laughs, "Yeah he's pretty excitable so when he found out you were a human he probably forgot to ask. So what is it?" I take out my phone and show him the screen when I'm done. He nods, "Alright kid good to know, see you tomorrow."

I watch as he goes up the stairs before laying back on the pillow and relax. Considering the long day of walking and puzzles and a full stomach I fall asleep quickly.

\-------------------------------------

Sans watches from the top of the stairs as she tries to get comfortable on the couch, her eyes staring off into space for only a moment before closing.

He still feels uneasy, even when he sat almost right next to her he couldn't see her soul and he didn't understand why. But she didn't seem violent, she didn't give that unsettling skin crawling (haha) feeling that that one did when he saw her, but he also didn't get that feeling until it was too late.

But she had played along with Papyrus' puzzles and ate his spaghetti even though Sans knew how bad it was, she obviously wanted to spare his feelings which seemed like a good sign.

He had almost considered being an asshole back when he first noticed he couldn't see her soul, especially when Papyrus had invited her back to their house, but he was glad he hadn't. He had thankfully remembered the promise he made and shoved aside his own troubled thoughts when he almost argued with his brother.

Plus Papyrus has been clearly enjoying the kids company today, he had been down lately, losing hope that a human would ever come for him to capture. Not that Sans ever even thought his brother would get past his own gentleness to actually capture anyone.

Sans is broken from his thoughts when Paps calls for him from his room, making the skeleton finally tear his gaze from you.

"FINALLY, I ALMOST FELL ASLEEP SINCE YOU DECIDED TO DWADLE AS USUAL," Papyrus says as Sans walks into the room. Sans shrugs good with a grin and picks up a story book off of his brothers book shelf.

He opens the book but doesn't start reading, instead he looks at his younger brother who's snuggled in his bed. "Yo bro, I know you invited the girl to rest here because you were worried about her health, but she's actually pretty hurt," Sans says and Papyrus looks at him with a tilt of his head.

"DO YOU MEAN THE THING WITH THE BANDAGES? I ASSUMED SHE WAS HURT, I ONLY TAPPED HER RIBS AND SHE ALMOST FELL OVER," Paps looks guilty for a second but then cheers up.

"SANS, I CAN'T CAPTURE HER WITH GOOD CONSCIOUS IF SHES ALREADY HURT SO I NEED TO WAIT UNTIL SHE'S FULLY HEALED." Sans nods knowingly, his brother is too kind.

"I thought you were going to say that. Anyway, ready for the story?" His brother rolls his eyes like duh and Sans begins.


	4. Casual Days

I'm fast asleep when someone making perplexed sounds wakes me up. For a minute I'm totally disoriented, thinking I'm in Toriel's house, but her house never smells spaghetti.

I blink up at the ceiling for a second before propping myself up on my elbows and looking up to see Papyrus holding something up.

"HUMAN, THESE ARE WEIRD LOOKING SHOULDER PADS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WOULD PUT THEM ON," Papyrus makes another perplexed noise and my vision clears with a few more blinks.

I almost wish it hadn't.

Papyrus is holding up my bra in his hands and trying to balance them on his shoulder blades, though clearly not understanding how he's supposed to fit one cup on one shoulder and the other one on the other shoulder.

Heat creeps up my neck and burns my ears, my head whipping around to look for my phone to tell him they aren't shoulder pads but I can't see it. I pull the blanket away from me and stand up quickly, making a grab at my bra but he's so tall I can't reach.

God I wish I could speak, this is mortifying!

"HUMAN IS SOMETHING WRONG, YOUR SKIN IS TURNING RED," Papyrus asks concerned but clearly doesn't understand my embarrassed gesturing.

I'm not sure if skeletons or even monsters in general understand the concept of sexuality or like, anatomy, so I'm not sure if I should even feel as embarrassed as I do. But they must if they keep the underground populated, right?

"Bro, you should give that back to her," Sans suddenly says and my eyes travel behind Papyrus to see a sleepy looking Sans. He's not wearing his coat but a black shirt instead. For a second it surprises me because in is coat he almost looked a little chubby around his middle, but now in a shirt he looks lean like someone human around my age.

How is he able to fill out a shirt? I don't have time to ponder the coat chubbiness thing because Papyrus hands me back my bra.

"FORGIVE ME HUMAN I SHOULDN'T HAVE TRIED ON YOUR ARMOR WITHOUT ASKING BUT I TOOK YOU CLOTHES OUT OF THE DRYER AND CURIOSITY GOT THE BEST OF ME," Papyrus apologizes and I hide the bra behind my back and hope my face is back to normal, making a nonchalant gesture with my free hand to say it's okay.

Papyrus nods then looks towards the kitchen, "OH ALSO HUMAN IT APPEARS YOUR PANTS ARE GONE, I WILL LEAVE YOU TO ATTEND TO THAT."

He disappears into the next room. Confused I look down and see I am indeed pant-less, I vaguely remember in the middle of the night kicking them off because they were too baggy and slipping off anyway, but Paps shirt is almost to my knees.

He's so oblivious.

Sans walks over with his hands shoved into his shorts pockets before bending over and picking up my phone from under the coffee table and handing it to me. I type thanks and show him the screen and he nods.

"I would throw on your clothes before Papyrus asks to try on your 'armor' properly," he suggests with a tired grin before following his brother. I look towards the window and see it's snowing steadily, I don't question (again) how that's possible before pulling on my long socks and then my shorts.

I then go up the stairs and into the bathroom, passing Sans' closed door and Papyrus' wide open door (revealing action figures and other typical boyish things) on the way.

I pull on my own clothes after messily rewrapping my ribs and surveying my healing cuts and bruises. The giant ugly bruise on my left side has barely faded and I'm not sure if I should be worried.

I run a hand through my hair before glancing at the shower they have (do skeletons need to shower? And why would they need shampoo and conditioner???). I decide I don't feel gross enough to ask to shower, having imposed on them enough with a sleeping spot and food AND clothes.

Always imposing on people.

These brothers are far too generous to a stranger, especially for monsters who's own friends of the underground want to apparently capture humans to leave the underground. I wonder what humans have that they need.

Toriel never went into detail enough for me to know anything more than monsters have hurt humans before. I fold Papyrus' clothes and hold them in my arms as I leave the bathroom.

I go to the couch and then fold up the blanket and put the pillow on top along with the folded clothes. I then go into the kitchen with my phone held tightly in my hand, Sans is drinking out of a ketchup bottle and sitting at the kitchen table quietly.

Papyrus is making spaghetti again and I wonder if he eats it for every meal. Sans sees me quietly standing there at the entrance and gives a lazy smile, "Come sit down kid, breakfast will be ready soon."

"YES HUMAN, AFTER SEEING HOW MUCH YOU LIKED MY SPAGHETTI LAST NIGHT I MADE EXTRA THIS MORNING," Papyrus turns around and I feel my lips curve up slightly seeing the 'Kiss The Cook' apron he's wearing. But when I don't move from my spot both skeletons look at me curiously.

I type on my phone and turn it towards them, *I'm sorry but I should leave, I've imposed on you both enough*.

"HUMAN YOU'RE NOT IMPOSING I INVITED YOU HERE," Papyrus booms with a tilt of his skull.

" _Snow_ way kid, not a good idea." He grins at his own pun. "You've seen the weather today, you go out there in those clothes and you'll freeze."

I look at them both before thinking to myself, what does it matter if I freeze. Slightly stunned I blink, where did that come from? It matters if I freeze, it does.

Sans pulls out a chair for me as if he's trying to make it clear I don't have a choice in staying. I sigh and sit down, Papyrus seems pleased as he turns back to tend to his pasta.

Sans takes another long drink from his ketchup bottle before looking at me and leaning on his hand.

"Somethin' wrong? You look worried about something kid," he asks and I write on my phone to change the subject.

*I'm not a kid you know*, I show it to him and his lazy grin just grows slightly.

"Then how old are you?" He raises a bone brow, it's obviously something he's been wondering but hasn't been able to figure out. He seems like the kind of skeleton who likes to have information, probably the reason he had grilled me last night for information.

I give him my plainest face, *Old enough to not be called a kid*. Sans shrugs.

"Alright so not a kid, I get it, kiddo," I roll my eyes slightly but I know he's just teasing so I lean back in the chair and watch Papyrus instead.

My eyes widen when I see him going to add in ingredients that are not, well, meant for spaghetti.

I stand up and stop Papyrus' arm from adding in the chocolate that rests on his hand, his face swinging to look at me with a quizzical look.

"HUMAN IS SOMETHING WRONG?" He asks loudly and I freeze because I wonder if this is the thing that will make Papyrus mad at me out of everything, he takes cooking very seriously.

When I don't say anything but slip the chocolate out of his hand and put it on the counter, his eyes seem to sparkle.

"OH I GET IT, YOU WANT THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE THE BEST PASTA EVER," his cape is flapping behind him again and I give him a small smile as his large gloved hand pulls me closer with excitement.

I'm not sure how to feel about the contact he always seems to want with the people around him but I know it's hardly malevolent, so I allow it, just like with all the shoulder touches and friendly bumps when I had been doing puzzles.

It's just something he does I guess. I roll up my sweater sleeves and nod at him to show I'm ready. I have to spend my time doing something, might as well be for the good of my stomach, and Sans' (if he even has one).

\-------------------------------

Sans watches her with interest. It's almost like she's dancing as she goes around the kitchen to slyly stop Papyrus from adding in things she doesn't approve of, and he had to admit it's kind of entertaining to watch his brother act like a teacher towards her.

He takes a gulp of ketchup and leans back in the chair and looks out the window to watch the snow. He wonders why she would have thought it was a good idea to leave during a storm, it's like she thinks she's a burden even though she technically didn't ask for anything, they just offered it firmly.

Actually no she did say she was imposing on being here, he wondered where that attitude came from.

His eyes trail from the window to stare into her back, her curly hair bouncing slightly with every movement she makes.

He wonders if she really can't remember anything from the surface, not that it matters, maybe he was just curious why someone would fall down the mountain hole and if it was on purpose or not.

He had often wondered how someone like Frisk fell, he had just hopped around asking them how they ended up underground, but if they realized what he had been trying to ask they didn't act like it.

They were a kid after all maybe they had tripped, they were clumsy like that.

Sans blinks and continues to watch her and Papyrus, his brother talking her through mashing up the tomatoes for the sauce as she holds a knife gently.

Sans watches her hand very carefully. She's not a kid (apparently) and definitely doesn't seem clumsy.

He watches as Papyrus rests a hand on her shoulder, "GOOD JOB HUMAN YOU LISTEN VERY WELL TO DIRECTION," he praises and she gives that odd smile again in return.

It always looks like she only smiles when she isn't sure what else to do, never because she's amused or happy. Except for a few puns that Sans had cracked, he saw amusement is her face those times, she even did one herself.

He may not trust her completely, but pun lovers can almost never be bad.

That one....kid.... never liked jokes.

"SANS DID YOU HEAR ME?" Sans jolts out of his thoughts and focuses on on his brother who stands with his hands on his hips, the girl turning slightly from her spot on the counter to look placidly at him too.

"Sorry what'd you say bro, I'm tired I wasn't listening?" Papyrus sighs loudly. "HOW ARE YOU TIRED, YOU'RE A LAZY BONES AND NEVER DO ANYTHING, ALWAYS SLEEPING AT YOUR CENTRY STATION," Papyrus complains and Sans smiles at his brother.

Papyrus suddenly looks over to the girl who has her phone screen held up for him.

"NO," Papyrus practically screams and Sans raises a brow bone curiously. "NOT YOU TOO HUMAN HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME AFTER I GAVE YOU COOKING LESSONS, YOU BETRAY ME." He says dramatically and the girl smiles with an amused glint in her eye.

Seeing Sans confusion she turns the phone so he can see what she said too.

*Come on Papyrus, he may sleep on duty but even I can see he's _worked to the bone_.* Sans eyes widen before his grin widens almost ridiculously large. Pun lovers are never bad.

\-------------------------------------

Breakfast is good, probably thanks to me watching every ingredient that went into the sauce and actually cooked the pasta all the way through.

Sans seems to have appreciated my earlier pun because all through eating he's making pasta puns between bites, driving Papyrus to groan loudly several times.

It's weird to watch his mouth slightly open to allow the fork through, and surprised to see sharp canine teeth that certainly don't show up in his smile.

He talks without having to open his mouth though, I'm not sure his body works, I mean besides the fact that both skeletons can move without muscles.

After eating I pick up all the plates without a word and start cleaning them in the sink, making myself useful. Papyrus insists on helping of course and takes over washing and even Sans stands besides me as I dry and puts away the plates, using what I believe to be blue magic to put away the dishes he's too short to put away by hand.

I know the struggle, having to stand on my tippy toes to put things away on top shelves.

Papyrus and Sans end up talking about if they will be able to make it to their stations today, I assume to look out for other humans (seems like a wasted effort since I'm the first one to have fallen in a long time apparently) so I go into the living room and sit on the couch.

I breath deeply and look to make sure they are both distracted before reaching up under my shirt and gently rubbing my broken ribs that had started to ache while I had been hunched over my plate eating.

I know with my less then professional wrappings skills my ribs aren't sitting right and that's why I'm in pain but I'm not sure what to do. If there's a doctor in the underground I doubt I would be able to see them, and there's not much a doctor could do anyway that I'm not already doing.

Pain killers would be so nice to have.

I lean back on the couch and look towards the window wondering when the snow will stop. But when I really think about it...

I place a hand on my chest but don't feel that urging feeling, like I had when it had been time to leave Toriels, and strangely I feel empty. I don't feel the need to leave Sans and Papyrus' house besides the fact that I feel like I'm intruding. Where has my inner voice gone? I have nothing leading me. I have no purpose.

"You in pain?" I jump at the sound of Sans voice and realize I'm still resting my hand on my chest.

At first I shake my head but then I nod slowly and point towards my ribs and Sans tucks his hands into his pockets.

When had he put a blue sweatshirt on?

He stands in front of me on the couch and cocks his head. I fish out my phone and quickly type, *I don't suppose you have a doctor around here, I can't wrap myself sufficiently and my ribs aren't setting right."

Sans shrugs, "I could do it if you want, it's not like it takes a scientist to do it." I pause, imagining a almost complete stranger seeing more skin then I would ever be comfortable with. Sure, Toriel had seen the same amount but she was motherly, and female. Sans rolls his eyes,

"Common kid I know you don't know me well but if you want to make friends here in the underground you need _tibia_ willing to trust us monsters, and in return they trust you." I blink at his pun then smile crookedly.

Crooked like my bones if I don't get help.

I shrug slightly and stand up, this will be uncomfortable but that feeling said before that these brothers aren't dangerous, and I trust it.

Papyrus comes into the living room and announces we are going to play a board game, Sans tells him to go pick one out and that us two have to do something. Papyrus doesn't question it, just runs upstairs and into his room.

Sans jerks his head into the kitchen and I follow, feeling slightly nervous. He pulls out a chair and I sit down on the very edge of it and fiddle with the end up my shirt and sweater before pulling up right under my small bust, shivering slightly as the cool air of the house tickles my skin.

I don't look at Sans and he kneels now in front of me and starts unwrapping my ribs.

"Shit kiddo this bruise is pretty bad," he mutters when you my skin is more revealed. He pulls the rest of the wrappings away and leans back on his heels to look at me, his gaze purely that of a person who is studying.

When he feels me looking at him he smiles casually, "I've never seen someone with broken bones up this close before so sorry if I'm staring, just curious how it looks on the body long term."

My mouth settles into a grim line, but I don't say anything. What a weird way to word that.

I sit completely still as Sans reaches around me and secures the wrapping securely, his fingers that sometimes brush against me are surprisingly warm and I don't understand how that's possible if he's made of bone.

"So what do you think of my brother?" Sans suddenly asks and I look down at him. The answer comes to me rather quickly and I smile slightly as I open my mouth to answer but then remember I can't.

I also left my phone in the living room so I can't answer, but I feel the need to respond.

I tap the top of Sans skull and he looks up as I motion to my mouth so he can read my lips. *He's really cool* I mouth and feel a pleased hum in my mind suddenly, making me smile slightly at the feeling of it being back.

Sans chuckles but his face has an odd expression as he focuses on his task again. "Yeah, he's the coolest. I don't I've ever met someone so cool," he says and I can't help but feel pleased that the brothers are so close.

"All done," he announces as he stands up, shoving his hands back into his sweatshirts pockets. I look down at myself and see how neat he's done his work.

I drop my shirt and sweater back down and stand up too. I mouth thank you and Sans smiles before we go back into the living room where Papyrus still isn't.

"Papyrus?" Sans calls and his brother appears at the top of the steps.

"SANS I THINK I LEFT MY FAVORITE GAME AT UNDYNE'S, SHOULD I GO GET IT?" Papyrus asks and I watch Sans out of the corner of my eye as Sans shakes his head.

"No Paps you know you can't do that, if Undyne sees you playing that game she will want to tag along and you know why we can't do that," Papyrus slightly flushed orange and glances at me, wringing his hands.

"OH RIGHT, IM SORRY. BUT YOU KNOW SHE'S UNDERSTANDING IT WOULD'NT BE HORRIBLE IF THEY MET..." He starts but Sans cuts in.

"Paps, no. Go pick out another game," Sans says firmly and Papyrus looks slight dejected as he goes back into his room.

I feel a sharp stab in my chest. I'm stopping Papyrus from spending time with who I think is his best friend, I really am intruding, even if they say I'm not.

"Hey Kiddo, I wouldn't have let him walk through this storm anyway," Sans must have guessed along the lines of what I was thinking about and tries to make me feel better, but it doesn't.

I turn away and go to sit on the couch, Sans sits besides me, waiting for Papyrus.

"I GOT A GAME, PREPARE TO LOSE TO THE GREAT PAPYRUS HUMAN," he announces as he slaps the game board down.

It's a VERY beat up looking game of Sorry and I wonder how they managed to get things from the surface like this.

We play for a few hours, Sans is always the last one to get all his people home and I can't tell if it's because he wants Papyrus to win or he's just too lazy to try and win himself, maybe both.

Papyrus and I tie in wins and I find myself grinning when he says I'm a very formidable foe, the environment is friendly.

"WHEN I PLAY THIS WITH UNDYNE AND BEAT HER SHE SOMETIMES THROWS SPEARS AND IT CAN GET VIOLENT, I AM PLEASED I HAVE'NT HAD TO TAPE UP THE BOARD ANYMORE WHILE PLAYING WITH YOU HUMAN."

That explains the rough shape of the board. I hold up my phone to Papyrus and Sans, *Tell me about Undyne*.

Papyrus looks at Sans unsure but he just shrugs, which sends Papyrus spewing.

"OH HUMAN UNDYNE IS SO GREAT SHE IS MY MENTOR IN BOTH COOKING AND FIGHTING AND ONE DAY SHE WILL LET ME INTO THE ROYAL GUARD," Papyrus' cheeks flush in happiness. "WHEN SHE LETS ME IN I WILL BE POPULAR AND HAVE TONS OF FRIENDS, BESIDES UNDYNE. SHE'S A GREAT WARRIOR AND ONE OF THE NICEST MONSTERS I KNOW." He keeps gushing but Sans grunts from his side of the couch.

"She also works for the king, hence her position, and wants to capture any humans who cross her," I watch as Papyrus looks kind of sad.

"YES BUT I KNOW IF I TALKED TO HER SHE COULD SEE REASON AND BE THE HUMANS FRIEND," Papyrus argues and Sans shakes his head but just leans back against the couch.

I feel horrible.

*She sounds nice, I'm sorry I can't meet her*. Papyrus smiles at me when he reads my message and clasps my hands in his before getting up.

"I'LL MAKE SNACKS, HUMAN DO YOU WANT TO JOIN ME AGAIN?" I stand up and follow him, wanting to make him feel better after I caused tension between him and his brother

\------------------------------

Even after the snow storm is gone Sans and Papyrus insist I stay since I'm still injured, not that I was totally insisting on leaving either.

It's like being back with Toriel with feeling secure in my own little bubble, a regular routine of waking up and cooking breakfast and dinner with Papyrus, and watching tv and entertaining myself when they go back to their century duties during the day. And no inner voice telling me to leave that moment.

Sans tells me I shouldn't go outside without either Papyrus or him just in case I run into trouble so I'm stuck inside all day, sometimes listening to children like laughter outside.

Feeling creepy, sometimes I even watched them play in the snow through the window and wish I could be carefree and play like that even if it is childish.

But if I go outside someone could tell Undyne, or worse Undyne herself could show up on chance and recognize me as a human.

I sigh and lean back on the couch after finding myself looking out the window yet again, no kids were out doing anything today and I wonder if they are at some kind of school.

I drum my fingers against my chest and let out a pleased hum, since Sans has been wrapping me the last couple days my ribs have felt better, finally.

He's also stopped looking at me with suspicion every single time I'm in the room, which is good, since I want to be friends with both of the skeletons since they've both done so much for me.

I look towards the clock on the wall, Sans and Papyrus should be home in a couple hours for their lunch break.

I yawn, I should be able to take a nap before they come back to their house. My day hasn't exactly been productive, but I feel drained, bored.

I soon drift off into a peaceful sleep.

Until I start dreaming.


	5. Shaken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warning: swearing and abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this is shorter than usual, I've gotten wrapped up in a new anime and it's taking over my life ^_^

" _You little bitch!"_

_SMACK!_

_I feel myself reel backwards, tears stinging my eyes from the impact as I fall hard onto the ground._

_My vision isn't focused, I don't understand what's happening, where I am._

_"Please," I hear myself whimper pitifully and my stomach clenches at how weak I sound._

_Someone grabs my hair and yanks it to the side, it's a woman this time who speaks, her face blurred out with black smudges. She's screaming at me about something I don't understand._

_Useless! Pathetic! The words I do recognize and accept that inside its true._

_Her hand is suddenly gone but I know she's yanked out strands of my hair by the way my scalp stings._

_"You're the reason we never got to do what we wanted in life, you're a fucking mistake, we should have drowned you in the tub as soon as you came out of your mothers c*unt," A mans voice now, his face has the same effect, his body manipulated so I can't recognize him._

_A large hand reaches towards me, its intention is brutal._

_I won't scream, I won't._

_I can't breath, I'm being strangled and all my blurry eyes can see are distorted faces with smiles so hateful and wide they are unnatural._

_Other whispers join my ears, freak your own parents don't even want you, kill yourself, do everyone a favor._

_Nothing but a mistake._

_Dying would make everyone happier, I could finally make someone happy, I should just...._

_A hand on my shoulder, someone leans over my shoulder and their hair brushes my cheek as their free hand cups my cheek and turns it towards them._

_Unfortunately their face is just as unrecognizable, but I can see their smile, so warm and familiar._

_"Hey, want to go stargazing later?"_

\--------------------------------------

I wake up hyperventilating, sobs wracking my chest and shoulders so much that I feel my muscles ache with stuffiness.

I still feel the ghost of the hands choking me and for a minute I think I'm still there in that awful place, pain prickling all across my skin as I bury my face in my hands as try to gather whatever control I have.

It's then that I realize I'm propped up, someone holding me up steadily. They are speaking softly right next to me.

"Kiddo you have to breath," it's Sans and he's looking at me with actual concern, obviously unsure what to do with me.

I want to curl into a ball and die rather than have someone see me like this, snotting everywhere like the pathetic person I am.

Something nudges in the back of my head, desperately trying to get my attention, trying to stop the train of thoughts I'm having, but I smother it.

"Hey listen to me," Sans grabs my head and forces me to look at his face, he looks more serious then I've ever seen him before.

"You need to snap out of this right now kid, focus, please, you're okay." I focus on the feeling of his warm skeletal hands still holding my head, they aren't the hands of the man choking me, they don't want to hurt me.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, the image of the hands reaching for me almost jolts me back into a panic but then I feel Sans shift from his spot where he's kneeling besides the couch, and (strangely) the dream persons question to go see the stars with them, and take another breath.

"See, you're okay, whatever you were dreaming about wasn't real." He says calmly, but I know the truth, that wasn't just a dream, those were memories, no matter how corrupted they were.

I wipe my face off on the back of my sweater sleeve and allow my head to tilt down to have my hair curtain around me, hiding myself.

The room is silent because Sans hasn't moved and I can practically hear him thinking hard, what about I don't know. And I'm sure as hell not talking after what just happened.

I realize he's still halfway holding me up and I flinch myself out of his lax grip, I feel him hesitate slightly then stand up and take a couple steps back but I still don't look up.

Finally he breaks the silence, "Papyrus will be home for lunch soon, I came home early. So if you want to uh, clean up, the bathrooms clean."

Before he's even done speaking I'm off the couch and hurriedly disappear up the steps and out of sight.

I slam the bathroom door behind me and promptly crumple to the ground and into a ball, wrapping my hands around me to try and hold myself together.

If it had been a dream everything would be okay, nightmares are normal for everyone, but when you wake up the reality of that it WAS just a dream swipes away all the uneasy feelings, you move on.

This wasn't a nightmare, this, THAT, was real.

_And I had wanted to die so badly._

Was that that why I had been so used to seeing horrendous bruises on my own skin, that it was something my mind passed off as normal? The thought sends chills up my spines.

I force myself to take more deep breaths, to stop shaking, and finally allow the soft spoken feeling in the back of my mind assure me that I'm okay.

And through its calming whispers I am reminded that the mysterious person who spoke of the stars is real too, someone who seemed to care.

I wish I could remember who they are.

\----------------------------------

It wasn't far fetched to say Sans bones were rattled.

His shift at the century station was easy to say the least, he had napped almost the entire time, not worried about a human showing up since one had already shown up.

So when lunch time came around he just left early, it's not like the wooden stand would miss him.

He wasn't in an hurry so he just walked through the snow humming to himself much like the day he had been making his way towards the ruins door for his usual checkup.

Maybe that's why he suddenly felt uneasy, that day he thought he had fucked up again and Paps was in trouble because he had meandered until the last minute.

Sans pulled a hand from his pocket and made a slashing motion with his finger, cutting open the space in front of him and stepping through.

The rip closes behind him quickly and Sans looks up at his house, nothing is out of the ordinary, but it's quiet since it's a school day for the kids around so he is suddenly aware of the muffled sobbing.

He quickly opens the door and immediately sees that she is the source of the sound, laying on the couch. He stands over her with his brow knit in confusion and admittedly worry because of the sounds she's making, it's like she isn't breathing but is desperately trying to.

She's writhing around and her usually healthy rosy cheeks are flushed a deep red like she is actually choking while tears drop down her face.

Shit shit shit.

Sans bends down and props her up in his arm and uses his free hand to lift up her eyelids slightly revealing her rapidly moving cerulean eyes.

He knows she's definitely dreaming, and it's bad.

Real bad.

He knows she's hyperventilating and knows he has to wake her up but he's not sure how, he's never had to do this for another person. But he does know he has to do it, if it were him dreaming he sure as hell would appreciate someone pulling him from that hell.

"Hey kid," he speaks loudly but calmly and shakes her a little bit. When she doesn't respond and continues to cry he has to shake her again and speak louder, telling her to wake up as soothingly as he can.

Suddenly after a few minutes of cooing her calmly he hears her gasp a shaken, "Yes, I do."

Then her eyes are open.

For a second he sees light in her eyes like she had seen something beautiful before waking up, then her eyes go flat and it's the ugliest shade of blue Sans has ever seen. Then the moment of stillness is gone and her lungs fill with air again, only to choke out more sobs.

It's only after an awkward amount of time (only because Sans doesn't know what to do) that he can get her to calm down enough that he can grab her head and turn it towards him to make her focus.

He struggles not to cringe under her dead like gaze, one so familiar that it almost scares him.

He speaks and watches as she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, slightly nuzzling into his hands, before opening them and staring at him with a gaze he can't read.

"See, you're okay, whatever you were dreaming about wasn't real." Sans hears himself say but he doesn't believe his own words, and he can tell she doesn't either.

She hides in her hair in silence before Sans mentions Papyrus will be home soon, which sends her bolting upstairs.

Sans wipes a hand across his face and stares after her even after she's gone, wondering what the hell just happened.

And if it's something he should be cautious of.

It's not long before Papyrus comes home in his usual loud manner.

"BROTHER I AM HOME, WHERE IS THE HUMAN? SHE MUST HELP ME PREPARE LUNCH BEFORE YOU AND I RETURN TO OUR STATIONS," Papyrus peers around the room looking for her and pouts when he can't spot her.

Sans scratches the back of his skull, "Bro, you should start without her she was feeling a little sick when I got here."

Sans immediately sees concern cross his brothers face and wrings his hands.

"THAT IS TOO BAD, I HAVE HAD ENJOYED COOKING WITH HER THIS PAST WEEK, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PUSH HER IF SHE IS NOT FEELING WELL."

Sans follows his brother into the kitchen and rubs his phalanges together to feel moisture, reminiscence of her tears from when he had grabbed her face.

He watches his brother start up his usual spaghetti, and keeps an 'ear' out for the girl but doesn't hear anything.

He wonders if he should checkup on her, he doesn't think she'd do anything harmful if she's still couldn't calm down, but then again he'd never thought he'd see her hysterical like that either.

He finally tells himself to get up and see how she's doing, when she appears at the kitchen entryway.

She's suspiciously put together and Sans watches her every movement just like the first day he'd met her.

Her face is no longer red, her hair no longer wild from her sleep trashing, but her eyes are still dull (maybe slightly less so then before) even if she does wear a small forced smile.

"HUMAN ARE YOU FEELING BETTER? SANS TOLD ME ABOUT HOW YOU HAD NOT BEEN FEELING WELL WHEN HE CAME HOME," Papyrus smiles kindly at her, and Sans stares at her but she doesn't even look in his direction.

She nods but doesn't go to help Papyrus but instead sits at the kitchen table, and Sans can tell she has a headache even if she tries to hide it by leaning her head in her hand. He always has a headache after he dreams.

Papyrus pauses but when he sees Sans shrug, the tall skeleton just continues to cook without question.

Sans watches her out of the corner of his eyes, her face drawn and tired.

He obviously doesn't want to ask what happened, but he knows that she won't feel better until her mind is taken off of whatever is going on inside her head.

"Hey kid I was thinking, since it's a school day for all the little monsters you should come with me to my post and get some fresh air," Sans suddenly blurts, watching as she slowly looks up at him, her eyes clearing just the tiniest amount. He smiles lazily as though the words he spoke hadn't been merely on impulse.

"YES HUMAN, SANS WOULD BE PERFECT TO GO WITH ON YOUR FIRST DAY OUT SINCE HES SO LAZY THE WORKLOAD WILL BE AT A MINIMUM FOR YOU. WHEN YOU ARE READY FOR PUZZLE MAKING AND MORE ADVANCED STUFF YOU CAN COME OUT WITH ME," Papyrus beams and the girl can't help but give her usual shaky smile back at him and his enthusiasm.

But as soon as Papyrus turns around to cook again the smile fades and she looks at Sans hesitantly. As if knowing what's wrong he slides his fingers across his mouth in a zipping motion and throws the imaginary key away, they won't talk about what happened at all.

She lays her head on the table and buries her hands in her dark hair and the kitchen goes silent except for Papyrus' absentminded humming, totally oblivious to the fact that she is struggling to still hold it completely together.

Sans hopes leaving the house will help, it always does for him.


	6. Refrigerator Running

I bury my hands in the coats pocket in a very Sans like manner, which is an especially accurate statement because it's his coat that I've borrowed.

My stomach is warm full of spaghetti and it gives my body a content feeling even though nothing else is.

I watch Sans zip up his heaviest blue sweatshirt since he insisted I needed his coat more, saying the cold wind "goes right through him". I had cracked a smile for his benefit.

I burrow my face in the fluff around the neckline and follow Sans out the door. Papyrus had left shortly before us, also insisting I wore his giant sweatpants over my shorts and long socks, acting like quite the worrier since I had been shivering so bad the last time I had been outside.

Sans and I walk in silence through the empty streets of Snowdin, which gives me far too much time to think.

I may have been able to calm down after the dream but my head has a dull throb like someone hit me over the head with a rock. Not just because I was struggling to suppress all of the horribly negative feelings that had come with the dream, but also because I'm sure my brain is trying to mend the opening in which the memories had come through.

I look to Sans who walks just slightly in front of me and wonder how he was just so casual with the whole thing, not even pushing her to talk about what happened.

Hell, if I had seen someone have such a fit it would be very hard not to ask about it, especially if it was a stranger who was staying in my house and I had to worry about their mental health.

"You're lagging behind kid," Sans is looking at me and I realize how slowly I had been walking, literally weighed down by my thoughts it seems. Also back to being called kid it seems.

Stupidly I feel the need to nag him at not being a kid but it seems I have once again left my phone somewhere out of reach, not feeling it's weight in any of my pockets.

So instead of answering or nagging I just hide my face further in the coats fluff and catch up to his pace.

I hadn't seen much else of the town but it looks cozy with a library (though ironically enough the sign is misspelled) and a bar. I see a Christmas tree set up with presents and everything, even a small shop.

I'm sure I see the tops of houses farther down the line of scattered buildings but it's hard to tell how many and how big the town actually is.

"We'll be there soon, you holding up okay?" Sans questions and I nod, feelings his eyes on the side of my face.

Soon enough we reach his stand, it's small but keeps the wind out at least. Sans and I sit in the only two chairs and I'm slightly amused to see a bottle of ketchup under the stand, along with some napkins, a stray pen and mustard (which I've never seen him drink or eat so I'm not sure why he has it).

"Thinking about getting a second job as a hot dog salesman, already halfway there wouldn't you say?" Sans says, somehow knowing yet again what I'm thinking.

I nod at his question with a small smile, for someone who claims to be so lazy he already wants a second job.

My smile grows slightly wider when I suddenly think about how I could see how many hotdogs I would be able to stand on my head, it would probably amaze Sans which is something I doubt happens very often.

"What are you thinking about kid, you have an odd look on your face?" Sans asks with his usual smile but I simply wave him off, it's just a ridiculously childish thought.

But I don't want to sit here in silence so I grab a napkin from underneath and the pen, clicking it to see if there's any ink. As luck would have it the pen is in good shape and I quickly start writing before showing it to Sans.

*How are you always able to tell what I'm thinking, are skeletons mind readers?* I half joke.

Sans shrugs and points to my face. "Well I don't have to be a mind reader when your human face is so easy to read, it's like your emotions are splayed out before me so it's easy to guess what you're thinking. Sometimes." He says awkwardly at the end and I glance away from his face because I know he's thinking about what happened earlier.

"Well it's not just your human face, any face with skin and flesh on it is pretty easy to read, or maybe I'm just perceptive, who knows."

I write again, *Must be easy to keep your emotions hidden with your kind of face then,* I show him and he laughs but his smile doesn't reach his eyes.

"Well to be honest I'm not exactly bone like you think, it's a more flexible kind of structure unlike what's in your body," Sans says and I feel my eyebrows raise before setting down the pen and reaching for his head without thinking.

I set my hand on the side of his face in concentration. What he said is true because his skull somehow feels more moldable under my fingertips, which I guess is how he is able to pull facial expressions.

I realize that before now that, besides having his hands touch me while wrapping my ribs, I hadn't actually come into contact with him. I stroke his somehow warm but smooth cheek before dropping my arm and actually seeing his expression, eyes wide and body stiff in surprise.

I feel my ears burn but pretend I don't feel the odd feeling settling between us.

"Yeah so as you could probably feel it's not regular bone," Sans rubs a hand on the back of his neck (spine?) and I nod before forcing myself to look away casually.

I clutch Sans' coat around me tighter and watch snow drift around in a slight wind before picking up the pen again.

*Kinda bonely around here isn't it?* I show Sans the napkin and he grins before nodding his head.

"Sure is, I usually fall asleep by now but since I have company I guess it'll have to wait until later," Sans says and I wonder if he naps because he doesn't sleep well or just because of boredom.

\-----------------------------------

Sans eyes can't help but find his eyes wandering to her every so often.

Her nose and cheeks are red from the cold and it's kind of cute, reminds him of Frisk when they would trot through the snow and off to their next destination.

But surprisingly thinking about Frisk makes him grumpy.

Sans shakes his head.

They had talked for a while about idle things, she asked about the library and hinted at possibly wanting to go there which Sans thought might be okay as long as she was with him or Paps.

Preferably himself though, Papyrus is far too trusting considering he still doesn't think it's a bad idea for her to meet Undyne.

Don't get Sans wrong, Undyne is nice even though she has a tough exterior, taking Paps under her wing and befriending him. But Sans could still vaguely remember from past timelines of how she hunted down Frisk, who would have been stuck fighting her for a long time if the kid hadn't been so damn charming.

He looks at her rosy nose again, she seems like a nice enough but she's not Frisk, she's wobbly and Sans doubts she could hold her own in a fight.

Frisk had plenty of experience of dodging from several different timelines Sans could hardly remember, but he knew what he thought was true.

Sans watches her for a while and she doesn't seem to notice between watching the snow and dozing off.

But he watched as every time she did start to fall asleep (she has folded her limbs into her borrowed coat for warmth) she would suddenly jerk awake with a haunted look in her eyes.

He said he wouldn't ask her what she had been dreaming about, but he wondered if he should be concerned.

Besides the obvious hysterics she was in when she woke up, she sees to have stepped backwards a couple steps in her personality. She still made puns but Sans could tell she was struggling internally.

Less happy and open that she had become around his and Papyrus.

He knew what that was like.

Sans leans back in his chair and listens to the slight wind, feeling the calm quiet between her and himself. Almost comfortingly.

As he slumped in his chair a little more in sleepiness, he found himself surprisingly thinking of when she had put her warm hands on his cheek after mentioning he was made from different bones than humans earlier.

He knew they had both been surprised at her sudden movement, but he saw how curious she looked at feeling his face, it was a nice look on her, better then her face as they had walked here.

Sans yawned slightly and he felt her eyes flick to him briefly and he slumped even further. As he finally fell asleep he was still thinking about her warm hands.

\------------------------------

I know taking advantage of Sans sleeping is kinda lame of me.

I watched as he finally fell asleep, something I wish I could do too. But I couldn't without the image of hands reaching towards me.

Though I had cocooned myself in Sans coat I was still cold and jittery from sitting in one spot for too long.

Knowing he couldn't say no, I decided just to walk a little ways through the snow to get my blood pumping, not being stupid enough to leave the sight of Sans stand though.

The snow somehow didn't seem as high here so I could comfortably walk without tripping or having to dig my own legs out every time I stepped.

I walked by some trees and ran my fingers along the pine needles, wondering how they could survive without the sun.

Sure there was light but since we are far underground I'm not sure where it comes from. I've just started chalking it all up to magic since Papyrus had told me most monsters can use it.

I breath in deeply and shake my hands out a little, the air isn't as refreshing as on the surface but it still serves to calm my jitters.

After spending the time that I have out here with Sans I feel a little better, especially since he kept his promise to not mention what happened and acted like everything was just a-okay.

I always feel better after getting out of the house when things seem especially bad.

I stop my walking, where did that come from? I thought it without a hint of doubt so it must be true, taking moments like these was what kept me sane on the surface.

" _Hey, want to go stargazing later_?" Echo's in the back of my mind and I wonder who it was that prompted me to leave the house with them.

It's then, while I'm pondering, that I see a flash of color through the group trees that I'm standing by.

Suddenly cautious I slouch my posture to be less noticeable through the needles and peek through even thought my better judgement told me to go back to the booth just a runs length behind me.

I spot the color immediately again, the red hair of a woman standing stark against the snow around her.

I can see she's mumbling to herself even at the distance I am away from her and I imagine it's because she looks like the fish version of a lady, and fish don't like cold. Do they?

Maybe monster fish women are different.

Something about the way she looks triggers my memory, her blue coloring and her fire red hair should have tipped me off. But it's when I finally register the royal armor she's wearing as the armor Papyrus always gushes about and describes, that I hastily turn on my heels and run as if my life depending on it.

Which to be honest, it probably does, no matter how much Papyrus likes Undyne and how nice she sounds, Sans made it clear she's one of the people who wants to capture and hurt a human at almost any cost.

When I finally reach the stand I slam my hands on the counter and Sans eyes pop right open.

"What's wrong ki-" he doesn't finish as I hastily duck under the counter and hopefully completely out of sight.

Sans peers down at me, confused at my heavy breathing from running and my wide eyes.

"Sans," I hear a slightly gruff female voice call for the skeleton and I know it's Undyne. I'm almost amazed at how fast Sans confused face is replaced with his usual lazy smile as he drags the chair closer and leans on the counter and sweeps the notes I had written into his pocket.

His body is slightly caging me in, making me feel just a teeny bit safer.

I hear heavy footsteps get closer until I know if the stall wasn't there I would be face to face with Undyne's legs.

"Sup Undyne, I'm surprised to see you here." Sans tone is super casual and I wonder how he's so calm with the thing Undyne wants right at his feet.

I hear Undyne snort, "Not as surprised as me when I saw your blue coat run through those trees, I didn't even know you could go faster then a snails pace." I imagine Sans shrugging as I see his body shift.

"I got a call that my refrigerator was running, had to make sure it didn't get away," he chuckles as his own lame joke but I somehow think the red haired warrior is rolling her eyes, but luckily doesn't question the fact that there isn't even a refrigerator here.

"Any whoo, what brings you here? I thought you hated the cold more than anything," Sans says and Undyne snorts again.

"Almost more than anything, but not more then Papyrus saying he couldn't make it to my house for game night. Like what's up with that? So I'm surprising him and bringing game night to your house instead for an epic battle of warriors FUHUHUHU," Undyne laughs and for some reason I find myself slightly warmed that game night with Papyrus means so much to her, even though I realize second later that she was going to be in the house I'm HIDING in from monsters like HER.

"I'm sure Papyrus will enjoy that," Sans says. "But then why are you here and not with him?"

I hear Undyne shift and pause.

"Well the truth is I've been a little worried about him, he's been acting a little strange like he's hiding something and I wanted to ask you if he was okay." I hear genuine hints of sadness in her tone and I feel a wave of guilt, I'm making Papyrus keep secrets by being in their home.

" _You're the reason we never got to do what we wanted in life_ ," I swallow, I'm stopping Papyrus from doing what he wants in life.

The nagging feeling in my head tells me to snip that thought in the bud so I do, for now. Because right now I'm still worried about being caught, even if it's selfish.

Sans doesn't miss a beat, "Well actually I'm not supposed to tell you but he is keeping something from you. He's been practicing his cooking and is super proud of his latest spaghetti so he was planning on showing it to you when he saw you, so if he makes it tonight try to act surprised, okay?"

I hear Undyne let out a relieved sigh at Sans lie and then her voice is full of the life it had been before.

"Of course I'll act surprised, I can't have Papyrus knowing you spoiled his little surprise, you know how he is when he gets disappointed." I nod my head slightly as I imagine Papyrus' disappointed face.

"I'll be on my way now to go see Papyrus, see you at your house later!" Undyne proclaims loudly as she stomps away.

I let out a long breath and focus on Sans slippers until he pulls his chair away to look at me huddled in the snow.

He may be smiling but I pick up on hints of disappointment and I know he knows I was the one Undyne saw running through the trees.

*I'm sorry* I mouth honestly, for complicating yet another thing.

Sans shrugs and offers me a hand to stand up which I take.

"It worked out in the end I suppose, but we need to get back home so we can hide you before Undyne comes over," I nod and look at him still.

The thought of having Sans disappointed in me makes my chest feel tight and I struggle not to frown because I'm the one who got myself almost caught, not Sans.

Sans squeezes the hand he's still holding, "Kid it's alright, I know you were probably just stretching your legs." I nod and then he drops my hand and motions for me to follow him back to the house.


	7. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't much like this chapter as a whole but there are parts that I like, but I gotta get the boring filler stuff out of the way so things don't happen too fast :)

At first Sans had thought she had waited for him to sleep to run for it, and that only seeing Undyne had brought her back.

Sans unlocks the front door of his house and ushers her in, watching as she strips his coat off and hangs it by the front door.

Sans himself just unzips his sweatshirt but keeps it on. Sans admits that when Undyne had told him she had seen his own coat running through the trees he felt a jab at his ribs like the words had physically hurt him.

"Kid do you want anything to eat or drink to bring with you upstairs, the only place I can think of to hide you is my room, no one ever goes in there but me," he explains and she looks at him and shakes her head politely, her curly hair bouncing around her waist.

He didn't know why it bothered him, the thought of her leaving. Yes he promised the old lady he would protect the kids that walked through the door, and the thought of failing the fellow pun lover wasn't pleasant but...he shrugs inwardly.

It was different.

Now they are upstairs and Sans can hear her shift from foot to foot behind him. When he had looked down at her sitting in the snow under the stand afraid, he had felt disappointed that she had even thought about taking advantage of him dozing off to go roaming by herself.

He thought he had made it clear that she should stick close to him in case something like this very instance happened, but she hadn't listened.

And it bothered him.

Standing in his room, her blue eyes scanned the somewhat messy place.

Sans felt kinda embarrassed at the state of his room and dug his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah sorry as I said before I'm the only one who comes in here," Sans mumbles wondering if she's grossed out that she has to hide out in here.

But when she turns towards him she has that usual wobbly smile on her face. She given him the same flash of a smile after apologizing as if realizing he was disappointed in her.

Her face still had a frightened look to it but she also looked sad and maybe that's what made Sans forgive her so quickly.

He had told her he knew she had just been stretching her legs and she looked relieved at his words so he felt slightly more assured that maybe she hadn't tried to leave.

Downstairs he suddenly heard the front door open and two loud voices talking. "Hang tight, hopefully she won't be here long, she usually stays for dinner then leaves," Sans says as he closes his bedroom door behind him and heads downstairs.

\-----------------------

I listen to Papyrus and Undyne play downstairs loudly, my body sitting right up against the door. It's been maybe a couple hours and somehow they weren't tired of what they were doing yet, but they both seem like they have a lot of energy so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I look around Sans dim room, taking in the lump of clothes in the corner and his almost bare bed.

The dark room gives me a bad feeling as it vaguely reminds me of my dream, where everything is slightly distorted from the lack of light.

His bed doesn't have a frame which makes me feel odd, like he's living off of what he thinks is the bare necessities while he's given Papyrus a room with all his action figures and even a nice car bed frame.

Does Sans think he doesn't deserve nice things? Hell, even the one desk in his room looks worn down and that's the only real piece of furniture in here.

I considered tidying up his room from boredom but I'm not sure if he would feel that's an invasion of his privacy as he seems a very private skeleton considering (apparently) no one is allowed in here but Sans, not even his brother.

Who knows what I could find hidden. I get up from the floor and pace Sans room quietly, making sure the floor under me isn't creating noise that anyone downstairs can hear.

It's dark and gloomy in here, the only window in the room has the shutters drawn and I wonder if they are always this way, Sans seems like the kind of guy that would just sift through the shadows if he needed anything.

I walk over and carefully crawl up onto the desk so I can peek between the shutters to the outside. The kids are back outside and playing and I wish I could go out and not be cooped up in here, being outside earlier was so refreshing.

And bright.

It's then, as I lean forward to look at a bunny walking another bunny across the street (how odd), that my hand slips between the wall and the desk I'm on. I thankfully catch myself before I fall and make noise but my heart beats fast as I start to pull my hand up.

As I do this I feel what feels like paper brush against my skin. I grab onto the paper and pull up, thinking I knocked something off Sans desk, but what I pull up is a thin stack of paper held together by a paper clip.

I know I hadn't knocked this off, the colors on it are so bright compared to the plainness of everything else in the room.

Feeling like I'm snooping now that I think I've found something Sans has hidden out of sight, I look at the papers by what light comes through the windows shutters.

On the first page is a drawing of Papyrus and Sans, very childlike scrawling identifying them as the brothers if the tall and short skeleton figures weren't enough. They're standing in a field of green which I assume is supposed to be outside since a bright smiling sun is in the upper corner.

I flip to the next page and see that Papyrus is now in the company of a bright haired fish, Undyne, holding a spear and a large grin drawn on her blue face. Who drew these? I flip through the pages, some of some little monster kids and another of a yellow scaled lizard I think. And a robot? Yeah that's what I think it is but the handwriting is so bad I can't read the names.

And this one looks like Toriel? A strange feeling builds up in me as I keep flipping, there's even a drawing of Flowey.

On the last page there's another drawing of the skeleton brothers, but this time in the middle of them there is what looks like a child, short brown hair and a striped sweater that looks eerily similar to mine.

This kid must have met Toriel and she must have provided her with a sweater too.

The child is simply labeled 'me'. I feel a lump in the back of my throat as I blink, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes as I stroke a finger across the marker person.

I thought Sans said he hadn't met one of the fallen kids before, but apparently he did if he has these drawing.

Maybe that's why I suddenly feel like crying, Sans probably met this kid and then lost them to one of the monsters down here that want to hurt humans, he's probably really sad about it and doesn't want to talk or remember it as they seemed pretty close.

I bite my lip and stash the papers back behind the desk, Sans won't ever know I found them.

I run a hand across my face as I sit back down against the door and listen to Undyne shouting and several thumps like she's hitting something.

I think of the drawing of Undyne, the kid knew who she was and lived, and if the kid drew Undyne they must have been friends.

So why does Sans not trust Undyne to treat me the same way, mercifully? Did something happen?

So many questions I can't ask.

\-----------------

It's only maybe an hour and a half later that I hear Undyne announce her leaving, after they ate. I could smell the familiar scent of spaghetti linger.

I breath a sigh of relief as I hear the front door closes with a bang. Almost immediately I hear a soft knock and I push away from the door so Sans can open it.

"She's gone, sorry it took so long but she and Paps had a good time," he says and offers a hand to pull me up. I take it and as soon as I'm standing I walk into the hall and Sans locks his bedroom door again, after his eyes sweep the room as if to look and see if I touched anything.

I wonder if he has anything in there besides the drawings from the kid, the nosy part of that whisper in my head thinks I should have taken the opportunity to look for more clues as to who exactly Sans is, but I shake my head slightly to myself at how rude that would be.

If I had a sad secret I doubt I would want someone prying at it. As I walk down the stairs I think of my dream, and how I probably suffered through that alone.

No, the star person knew, I just know they did. As soon as I'm downstairs Papyrus rushes up to me, "I HAVE SAVED YOU EXTRA PASTA FOR YOUR DINNER, YOU MUST BE HUNGRY."

He's practically glowing from his games with Undyne and I can't help but think it was worth it to be alone in that dark room in order for Papyrus to see his best friend.

\------------------------

A few days pass and the routine has gone back to normal, though now she goes out with either Sans or Papyrus during their shifts more regularly and she seems to be enjoying the outdoor time and she likes planning out puzzles with Papyrus for when it's his day to spend with her.

Sans should feel happy that she's seemed to get even more comfortable with the skeleton brothers, her tense moment from a few days ago seemingly forgotten.

But Sans knows why she isn't plagued by nightmares to effect her mood, she's not sleeping.

Sans looks at her out of the corner of his eye, she's doodling idly on the napkin on the stand. She has dark circles under her eyes, a slightly glossy sheen covering them.

At first he thought she wouldn't sleep for just one night when he found her reading his jokes book in the middle of the night, he understood she didn't want another nightmare, but after checking up on her the third night he saw she was still wide awake and just watching the snow fall out the window in the light of the false moonlight.

He said he wouldn't prod and her thoughts, but Sans is getting worried.

He promised the old lady he would protect the kids that came here, but he isn't doing a very good job if she is listless and unhappy for most of the time she's with him.

Sans wonders if she's always been this way, he might be able to tell if he could see her soul, if it's damaged or dull.

It's easy to tell by looking at someone's soul if they are simply miserable creatures or deeply hurt.

"Hey kid, do you want to do something sometime?" Sans asks and she looks at him. She cocks her head as if to ask what he means, but Sans isn't sure what he means either.

"Well I mean, uh, you mentioned wanting to go to the library so we could do that. Or there's Grillby's where we could eat. Maybe not today but sometime this week, I was thinking keeping you cooped up isn't a good way to live, and if we slowly introduce you to some of the monsters in town they won't be suspicious of you if they see you," Sans tucks his head into his hood.

She smiles slightly and taps on her phone before turning it to him. *Sounds good to me, thanks Sans.*

\--------------------

Sans didn't go back on his words to let me slowly meet the monsters in town.

In fact instead of being suspicious they merely asked if I was a monster from the city, which I said yes to because it was the simplest thing to do.

Somehow having Papyrus with me made it easier, he's just so carefree and made the monsters relaxed so they questioned less because if the skeleton brothers like me I must not be so bad.

I think the best part of being out is the library, where I get to read new books and learn more about monsters. Like if a monster dies it turns to dust and then is scattered on things they love, I even learn more about Asgore. From what I read he isn't a bad guy, many monsters like him and respect him.

I also learn about the war between monsters and human, and I desperately try to remember if I ever learned about that on the surface but I can't remember.

I can never remember.

The week passes by quickly and Sans slowly stops monitoring me as closely as he had been, thankfully. I think I have thrown him off my trail, he seems to be able to tell I'm not sleeping and not feeling well emotionally and I don't want to burden him with my problems more than I already have.

I don't understand why I've hung around this town for this long but I'm worried of leaving the safeness of this place, especially since that little voice in my head tells me it's okay to stay for a little while more unlike back with Toriel.

The same little voice that keeps on trying to nudge the clouds that hang inside my skull since the dream. I finger the pages of a book I have taken off the bookshelf.

When I turn around to go check out the book at the front desk, the usual monsters that are in there merely glance and grin at me.

As I'm checking out the book, one about souls (Sans has ever only briefly mentioned souls and they seem rather important to monsters), I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I grab the book and go out the door while reading the text from Papyrus.

*HUMAN YOU SHOULD JOIN ME AT MY CENTRY STATION JUST ACROSS THE BRIDGE, I HAVE PUZZLES TO ASSEMBLE*.

I smile slightly and send an okay back and hug Sans coat closer to myself. I had been to Papyrus' sentry station just outside of the bridge but that's as far as I have gone outside of town.

But it's far enough to see changes beyond the snow area of the cavern but blocked beyond that because there's a large rock wall farther on that looks like a cave within a cave.

How big the cavern under the mountain we are in is impossible to tell. I pull Sans hood over my head when the wind picks up, always a strange wind near the bridge that sweeps snow across everything but only ever in that area.

I'm on the bridge now and it sways in the wind when I suddenly hear something through the wind, footsteps clanking.

I think for a moment that maybe it's Papyrus coming across the bridge too, going to his sentry, but the way he worded his text made me think he was already there and Papyrus is never late to his own destination.

I stop mid walk and turn around to look over my shoulder, my heart skipping a beat. I recognize her red hair instantly.

"Sans! Did you get a text from Papyrus too? Game night is tonight and instead of meeting him at the house he-" she stops talking, her sharp teeth still glinting in a smile because she hasn't realizes I'm not Sans.

But soon her eyes narrow and her pace slows and I can't seem to make myself move.


	8. Chapter 8

"Where," Undyne's voice is low but somehow I hear it through the wind like its nothing,"Did you get that coat."

It's not a question, she knows I've come in contact with Sans and by the way her eyes travel over me it's like she's looking for blood, but no more importantly dust.

I read that monsters bleed very little, only when the top layers of their skin are broken before they turn to ashes.

Not that any dust would be able to cling on me in this wind. She thinks I've killed Sans.

I turn fully towards her and clutch my book to my chest like a shield but I know she would have no problem cutting through it.

She takes a threatening step forward and her armor clanks, "Where, did you get that coat human?!" She yells and I back up, blinking through my hair that whips around me.

I open my mouth desperately but no sound comes out. I didn't kill him! I need to tell her but still nothing comes from my throat.

I tuck my book hurriedly under my arms and try to fish out my phone but as soon as I raise it to show her what it is a horrible burning sensation cuts through my hand.

My phone goes flying and I feel the warm drip of my own blood run down my skin, she cut it cleanly, but not deeply and her spear shatters somewhere behind me.

Stunned, the book drops out from under my arm and falls onto the bridge.

I then tuck my bloodied hand under my arm and apply pressure as more blood wells up. I turn on my heel and run.

I feel the buzz of magic on my skin as Undyne runs after me, she's faster and by the time I actually make it off of the bridge I feel something cut through Sans coat, barely missing my body.

I look up ahead but the snow and wind still haven't died down, I can't even see Papyrus' station though it shouldn't be far from here.

"TURN AROUND AND FACE ME COWARD," Undyne's voice booms and I realize I have no choice but to look at her, not sleeping well for a week has made me slow and I can't outrun her even if I had somewhere safe to go.

If I keep on going where no one expects to look for me there's less of a chance of someone find my body.

"I don't know where you've been hiding but your time is up. Not only does King Asgore need only one more human soul, but you've hurt my friend Sans and by the direction you're taking I expect you were looking for Papyrus too. I will not allow you to hurt him," she says and though she looks very strong and intimidating the worry in her eyes is clear.

She means to kill me.

Despite the cold I start to sweat, even if I could fight her I don't want to, Undyne is Papyrus' best friend and he believes in her to be kind.

I know he must have set this up thinking we would get along but this have gone horribly wrong, but even so Paps wouldn't have done this if he thought I would get hurt.

He's just too kind.

In an attempt to try to show Undyne she doesn't need to feel threatened by me I ignore my hurt hand and how it stings in the cold and raise them up in front of me as if to say I won't fight back.

But Undyne only marches closer and a strange tugging feeling erupts in my chest, the same feeling I got when Toriel had tried to fight me.

I lay my wounded hand across my chest, forgetting I'm bleeding and smearing it on the front of me.

The red haired warrior has a spear in her hand and stops in front of me at a distance where she could easily jab me through the heart if she wanted to, so why isn't she.

"I won't fight you when it's not a fair fight, I have too much honor for that," for a second I feel relieved at her words but then she throws one of her spears at me which I reflexively catch.

"There, now I can kill you with a clean conscious. Bring out your soul." She bares her teeth.

The ache in my chest gets stronger at her words.

\--------------------------

Sans shouldn't be as worried as he is when he gets home and she isn't there.

She could be interacting with the monsters in town or at the library.

But when Sans goes outside he doesn't see her among any of the towns people and when he stops by the library the monsters there say she checked out a book and then left.

Where could she be?

She wouldn't have run off, no he couldn't keep distrusting her.

Even if it would be her own decision to finally leave, but she wouldn't do that without saying goodbye would she?

It's only when he goes back to the house and sees Papyrus exit the front door with a bag full of spaghetti in containers that Sans gets really worried.

"Papyrus you haven't seen her around recently have you?" Sans doesn't have to say her name, his brother already knows who's he's talking about.

And by the way Papyrus suddenly starts wringing his hands that Sans knows exactly where she is and is keeping something from him.

"IT WAS GOING TO BE A SURPRISE, BUT UM, WITH THE HUMAN GETTING ALONG WITH ALL THE MONSTERS IN TOWN SO WELL I THOUGHT SHE SHOULD FINALLY MEET UNDYNE. IM ON MY WAY TO THEIR LOCATION WITH SOME CELEBRATION SPAGHETTI FOR THEIR SURELY NEWFOUND FRIENDSHIP," Papyrus says and holds up his bag like it makes everything he just said is okay.

"Papyrus," Sans starts and feels his usual laid back smile turn down.

"Where are they, why would you do this?" When his brother realizes Sans is upset he too frowns.

"UNDYNE IS THE NICEST MONSTER I KNOW, AND I KNOW SHE WOULDN'T HURT THE HUMAN WITHOUT A GOOD REASON." He argues and for the first time in a while Sans wants to shake his brother for his naive thinking.

Trying to keep himself from raising his voice too much Sans says,"Paps, she wearing OUR clothes and Undyne doesn't know she's been staying with us, what do you think Undyne is going to think when she sees her with our belongings. Now tell me. Where. Are. They."

Papyrus' bone face seems to go pale even though he's already bone white.

"T-THEYRE GOING TO MY CENTRY STATION OUTSIDE OF TOWN." That's all he needs to say before they run out of town, and then Sans splits the space between here and the bridge and pulls his brother through with him.

\------------------------

A tear runs down my cheek and is followed by another.

Sans had told me very little about souls, but he had emphasized how beautiful they usually were.

How they reflect who a person truly is so that if you ever see one you can know if they are bad or good, complicated or simple.

I asked him how he knew, he admitted somewhat reluctantly that he could see most people's by using magic.

I had questioned him as to if he could see mine but he said no.

I'm so glad he couldn't.

It's not right, it's ugly and horrible and broken.

So, so broken.

It's color is a dull deathly white, like what someone's flesh might look like after they had been dead for a couple days.

The pieces off it are shattered and if it were not held together by weak red slivers I know that it would be like broken glass, everywhere and in tiny pieces.

This shows who I am.

And now it's out for Undyne to see.

Another tear rolls down my face, I'm so ugly, and by the way Undyne is looking at me she agrees.

It's hovering out in front of me but when I go to reach out and touch it, to try and hide it from both Undyne's eyes and my own, my hand just passes right through it like a hologram.

"What the hell." Undyne finally says and it's like ice through my heart.

She holds up her spear, "I guess a broken soul is fitting for someone who is trying to kill my friends." But she has an odd look on her face, her shoulders less tense as she looks at my red puffy eyes.

I hold my borrowed spear listlessly in my hand.

_Freak your own parents don't even want you, kill yourself, do everyone a favor._

_Nothing but a mistake._

_Mistake._

I'm forced to stumble back when Undyne suddenly throws a spear at me.

"Usually I would give mercy to someone so hurt but you...you're the ticket to our freedom and I won't let you hurt Paps!"

I throw myself to the side and my soul follows but her spear catches me on my should and barely misses my soul.

I feel the familiar wetness of my blood on my skin but just let it bleed.

If I die I would give them the soul they need and stop interrupting Sans and Papyrus' lives.

I start moving slower, I'm so tired.

Her spears that were aimed to carefully now become sloppy and only one of two actually cut me deeply enough for me to grit my teeth in pain.

"Fight back," Undyne demands but I haven't held my borrowed spear up once and won't start now.

I see a spear heading straight towards me and find my resolve.

I stop moving entirely and it cuts my stomach deeply.

When Undyne sees this she lets out a roar and lunges at me.

She hits me across the face and I stumble back numbly. A familiar feeling.

 "DO YOU WANT TO DIE, FIGHT ME." She yells in my face.

Don't just stand there! Says the small voice in my head that has kept quiet until now but I shut it out.

She conjures another spear, "If you want to die that badly I'll do it, I'll kill you."

There's a tone in her voice like she wants me to fight back and not just let it happen but I just give her a blank look.

The wind whips her hair around wildly like fire among the snow.

\--------------------------

Sans and Papyrus rush through the snow and look for her, it's hard to see if she went any direction other than where Papyrus wanted her to go because tracks are slowly getting filled up and disappearing.

It's only when Sans finds her phone and book lying around that he knows they are on the right track, and when his nerves jump in his throat.

Because on her phone are frozen drops of blood.

The brothers rush through the snow and finally make it across the bridge only to see two figures standing close to each other.

Undyne is standing with a spear and ready to toss at the girl, but it's obvious from here that she intends to miss because of her stance.

But Sans can see that her companion is bloody and cut and red stains are on the snow under her feet and his jacket.

Through the snow he can see a weird hovering shape and it suddenly occurs to him that it's her soul but he can't see it clearly.

"Undyne!" Sans shouts as he and his brother rush forward, Undyne's hand poised to throw.

Undyne's head whips around as her spear goes through the air.

At the same time Sans eyes meet the sky blue ones that are the girls, and sees them go wide with horror.

Undyne's spear had intended to miss and wouldn't have met its target if only the kid hadnt suddenly moved and thrown her hands up to hide her soul from Sans gaze.

A voice rings out in the air, "DON'T LOOK AT IT." Her mouth is open but her shout hadn't come from her own throat, it had come from her soul behind her.

Everyone's eyes grow large not only because her soul had spoken on her behalf but because at the same time Undyne's spear that hadn't meant to hit her now dully 'thunks' the back of her shoulder.

The kid lurches forward and the spear dissipates from her flesh but she falls to the snow anyway.

Behind her there's a flicker and her soul follows her body, only giving Sans a glimpse of it, but enough to see something is wrong.

Sans blinks and is suddenly right there to catch her as she falls, her face twisted in pain as he lowers her into his lap.

She looks bad real bad, and not only because of her wounds but because she looks like she's seen something that haunts her.

"I'm here kid, you're going to be alright," Sans runs his hand along her face gently to make her eyes focus.

"I didn't mean to hit her with that last one!" Undyne says loudly as Papyrus puts his hand on her shoulder with a sad expression.

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS KNOWS, UNDYNE, SANS AND I COULD BOTH SEE YOU HADN'T MEANT TO HIT HER," he tries to comfort her but she has a guilty look on her face as she tried to look and see the damage that she's done.

Sans turns so he shields the girl in his lap, his eyes dark as he looks at the red haired warrior.

"But you had hit her before we got here, she has wounds everywhere."

But his angry face disappears when he realizes the kid is passing out in his lap, her eyes unfocused as she suddenly holds onto Sans hand tight.

"Don't let me fall asleep, I'm scared," her souls whispers from inside her and Sans doesn't take a moment to marvel at how this is happening because he sees the dull look in her eyes hastening.

"It'll be okay-"

\------------------------------

" _It'll be okay, I'll be here for you for the whole time."_

_That's what Sans had said before I had passed out from pain and exhaustion._

_And maybe it's why my slumber wasn't plagued by the horrible nightmares I had been trying to avoid the last week._

_I find myself sitting on the edge of a window._

_It's night time but the stars twinkle in the dark sky and somehow seem cast enough light on their own that a full moon isn't needed to see a little ways from my house._

_I feel a dull throb on the side of my face and arms from getting hit from some time during the day but it doesn't seem to matter because for once I feel something like excitement._

_Because there's always one person who never leaves me feeling unwanted, and they are approaching the window with a large smile on their face._

_I open my window quietly but quickly and lean out to give them a small smile._

_"Come on out, I have a surprise for you," they extend their hand, which I grab as I slip down to the ground. I follow them, their hand in my hand as we walk in the starlight._

_We come to a hill, our hill, one that's a little ways from any houses so we are never disturbed._

_There's a cardboard box sitting at the top as they motion for me to sit down._

_"This is for you!" They announce and hand it to me, which makes my nose tickle with emotion._

_They never forget my birthday, even when my parents do._

_I open the cardboard box and carefully lift out a black shirt, but it's what's on the black shirt that makes me smile the widest._

_There are little constellations on the front of the shirt that give off a faint green glow._

_Glow in the dark stars._

_I tug the shirt over my head and launch myself at them, burying my face on their short brown hair and digging my fingers gently into their favorite sweater._

_"Thank you," I whisper as they hug me back._

_After a moment I pull away and look up at the sky above._

_It's what we always sneak out to do, stargaze, because the universe is forever expanding and for a second makes our problems seem small._

_"Happy birthday Angela," they say as we continue to stare into the sky_

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know how things are going with my story, constructive criticism is always welcomed!  
> Have a wonderful day little flowers


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